The coach was wheeling into the Admiralty yard, and two wooden-legged naval pensioners were stumping out to open the doors. St. Vincent climbed out, and he and Hornblower, in their brilliant crimson and white silk, walked through to the First Lords room.
Theres their ultimatum, said St. Vincent, throwing a paper upon the desk.
Written in a poor hand, was Hornblowers first mental notenot the work of some bankrupt tradesman or lawyers clerk caught by the pressgang.
On board H.M.S. Flame off Havre7th October 1813
We are all loyal hearts and true here, but Lieutenant Augustine Chadwick has flogged us and starved us, and has turned up all hands twice a watch for a month. Yesterday he said that today he would flog every third man of us and the rest of us as soon as the others was healed. So we have him under lock and key in his cabin, and theres a whip rove at the fore yardarm waiting for him for he ought to be strung up after what he did to the boy James Jones, he killed him and we think he said in his report that he died of fever. We want their Lordships at the Admiralty to promise us to try him for his crimes and give us new officers and let bygones be bygones. We want to fight on for Englands liberties for we are loyal hearts and true like we said but France is under our lee and we are all in this together and we are not going to be hanged as mutineers and if you try to take this vessel we shall run him up to the yardarm and go in to the French. We are all signing this.
Humbly and respectfully yours,
round the margin of the letter were the signatures, seven of them, and several score of crosses, with a note against each crossHenry Wilson, his mark; William Owen, his mark, and so on; they indicated the usual proportion of literates and illiterates in an average ships company. Hornblower looked up at St. Vincent when he finished examining the letter.
Mutinous dogs, said St. Vincent.
Maybe they were, thought Hornblower. But they had a right to be, he also thought. He could imagine perfectly well the sort of treatment to which they had been subjected, the unending wanton cruelty added to the normal hardship of life in a ship on blockading service; miseries which only death or mutiny could bring to an endno other way out at all.
Faced with the certainty of a flogging in the immediate future, they had risen in mutiny, and he could not blame them. He had seen enough backs cut to ribbons; he knew that he himself would do anything, literally anything, to avoid such torture for himself if he were faced with the prospect of it. His flesh crept as he made himself seriously consider how he would feel if he knew he were to be flogged next week. The men had moral right on their side; it was not a matter of justice, but one of expediency, that they should be punished for their justifiable crime. The national existence of the country depended greatly on seizing the mutineers, hanging the ringleaders, flogging the rest; cauterising before the disease could spread farther this new plague spot which had appeared in Englands right arm. They must be hanged, morally innocent or notit was a part of war, like the killing of Frenchmen who were possibly admirable husbands and fathers. But it would be as well not to let St. Vincent guess at his sentimentsthe First Lord obviously hated mutineers just as mutineers, without troubling to think more deeply about their case.
What orders do you have for me, my lord? asked Hornblower.
Ill give you carte blanche , replied St. Vincent. A free hand. Bring Flame back safe and sound, and the mutineers along with her, and you can set about it any way you choose.
You will give me full powersto negotiate, for instance, my lord?
I didnt mean that, damn it, replied St. Vincent. I meant you could have any force you asked for. I could spare you three ships of the line, if you want them. A couple of frigates. Bomb-vessels. Theres even a rocket-vessel if you think you could use itthis fellow Congreve wants to see his rockets in action again.
It doesnt appear to be the kind of situation in which great force would be of much use, my lord. Ships of the line would seem to be superfluous.
I know that too, damn it. The struggle in St. Vincents mind was evident in his massive face. Those insolent rascals can slip into the Seines mouth in two shakes of a ducks tail at the first sign of danger to themselves. Its brains that are needed here, I know. Thats why I sent for you, Hornblower.
A nice compliment. Hornblower preened himself a little; he was talking here on terms almost of equality to one of the greatest admirals who had ever hoisted his flag, and the sensation was extraordinarily pleasant. And the internal pressure which was mounting inside the First Lord suddenly forced out of him a yet more astonishing statement.
And the men like you, Hornblower, exploded St. Vincent. Damn it, I dont know a man who doesnt. Theyll follow you and listen to you. Youre one of the officers the men talk about among themselves. They trust you and expect things of youso do I, damn it, as you can see.