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'I've e to see for myself；' he said。 'The position looks strong enough in all conscience here。 Once you have the guns posted you should be able to hold this bridge until you can blow up the arch。 But there's a ford； passable at low water； half a mile lower down。 That is where I shall station myself…if we lose the ford they can turn the whole position and cut us off from the shore。 Tell this gentleman…what's his name？…what I said。'
Hornblower translated as well as he could； and stood by as interpreter while the two manders pointed here and there and settled their respective duties。
'That's settled； then；' said Edrington at length。 'Don't forget； Mr Hornblower； that I must be kept informed of every development。'
He nodded to them and wheeled his horse and trotted off。 As he left a cart approached from the direction of Muzillac； while behind it a loud clanking heralded the arrival of the two six…pounders； each drawn painfully by a couple of horses led by seamen。 Sitting upon the front of the cart was Midshipman Bracegirdle； who saluted Hornblower with a broad grin。
'From quarterdeck to dung cart is no more than a step；' he announced； swinging himself down。 'From midshipman to captain of artillery。'
He looked along the causeway and then around him。
'Put the guns over there and they'll sweep the whole length；' suggested Hornblower。
'Exactly；' said Bracegirdle。
Under his orders the guns were wheeled off the road and pointed along the causeway； and the dung cart was unloaded of its contents； a tarpaulin spread on the ground； the gunpowder cartridges laid on it and covered with another tarpaulin。 The shot and the bags of grape were piled beside the guns； the seamen working with a will under the stimulus of their novel surroundings。
'Poverty brings strange bedfellows；' said Bracegirdle。 'And wars strange duties。 Have you ever blown up a bridge？'
'Never；' said Hornblower。
'Neither have I。 e； and let us do it。 May I offer you a place in my carriage？'
Hornblower climbed up into the cart with Bracegirdle； and two seamen led the plodding horse along the causeway to the bridge。 There they halted and looked down at the muddy water…running swiftly with the ebb…craning their heads over the parapet to look at the solid stone construction。
'It is the keystone of the arch which we should blow out；' said Bracegirdle。
That was the proverbial recipe for the destruction of a bridge； but as Hornblower looked from the bridge to Bracegirdle and back again the idea did not seem easy to execute。 Gunpowder exploded upwards and had to be held in on all sidles…how was that to be done under the arch of the bridge？
'What about the pier？' he asked tentatively。
'We can but look and see；' said Bracegirdle； and turned to the seaman by the cart。 'Hannay； bring a rope。'
They fastened the rope to the parapet and slid down it to a precarious foothold on the slippery ledge round the base of the pier； the river gurgling at their feet。
'That seems to be the solution；' said Bracegirdle； crouching almost double under the arch。
Time slipped by fast as they made their preparations； a working party had to be brought from the guard of the bridge； picks and crowbars had to be found or extemporized and some of the huge blocks with which the pier was built had to be picked out at the shoulder of the arch。 Two kegs of gunpowder； lowered gingerly from above； had to be thrust into the holes so formed； a length of slow match put in at each bunghole and led to the exterior； while the kegs were tamped into their caves with all the stones and earth that could be crammed into them。 It was almost twilight under the arch when the work was finished； the working party made laboriously to climb the rope up to the bridge and Bracegirdle and Hornblower left to look at each other again。
'I'll fire the fuses；' said Bracegirdle。 'You go next； sir。'
It was not a matter for much argument。 Bracegirdle was under orders to destroy the bridge； and Hornblower addressed himself to climbing up the rope while Bracegirdle took his tinderbox from his pocket。 Once on the roadway of the bridge Hornblower sent away the cart and waited。 It was only two or three minutes before Bracegirdle appeared； frantically climbing the rope and hurling himself over the parapet。
'Run！' was all that was said。
Together they scurried down the bridge and halted breathless to crouch by the abutment of the causeway。 Then came a dull explosion； a tremor of the earth under their feet； and a cloud of smoke。
'Let's e and see；' said Bracegirdle。
They retraced their steps towards where the bridge was still shrouded in smoke and dust。
'Only partly…' began Bracegirdle as they neared the scene and the dust cleared away。
And at that moment there was a second explosion which made them stagger as they stood。 A lump of the roadbed hit the parapet beside them and burst like a shell； spattering them with fragments。 There was a rumble and a clatter as the arch subsided into the river。
'That must have been the second keg going off；' said Bracegirdle； wiping his face。 'We should have remembered the fuses were likely to be of different lengths。 Two promising careers might have ended suddenly if we had been any nearer。'
'At any rate； the bridge is gone；' said Hornblower。
'All's well that ends well；' said Bracegirdle。
Seventy pounds of gunpowder had done their work。 The bridge was cut clear across； leaving a ragged gap several feet wide； beyond which the roadway reached out towards the gap from the farther pier as a witness to the toughness of the mortar。 Beneath their feet as they peered over they could see the river bed almost choked with lumps of stone。
'We'll need no more than an anchor watch to…night；' said Bracegirdle。
Hornblower looked round to where the roan horse was tethered； he was tempted to return to Muzillac on foot； leading the animal； but shame forbade。 He climbed with an effort into the saddle and headed the animal back up the road； ahead of him the sky was beginning to turn red with the approach of sunset。
He entered the main street of the town and rounded the slight bend to the central square； to see something that made him； without his own volition； tug at his reins and halt his horse。 The square was full of people； townsfolk and soldiers； and in the centre of the square a tall narrow rectangle reached upwards towards the sky with a glittering blade at its upper end。 The blade fell with a reverberating thump； and the little group of men round the base of the rectangle dragged something to one side and added it to the heap already there。 The portable guillotine was at work。
Hornblower sat sick and horrified…this was worse than any flogging at the gratings。 He was about to urge his horse forward when a strange sound caught his ear。 A man was singing； loud and clear； and out from a building at the side of the square emerged a little procession。 In front walked a big man with dark curly hair； wearing a white shirt and dark breeches。 At either side and behind him walked soldiers。 It was this man who was singing； the tune meant nothing to Hornblower； but he could hear the words distinctly…it was one of the verses of the French revolutionary song； echoes of which had penetrated even across the Channel。
'Oh； sacred love of the Fatherland 。 。 。' sang the man in the white shirt； and when the civilians in the square heard what he was singing； there was a rustle among them and they dropped to the knees； their heads bowed and their hands crossed upon their breasts。
The executioners were winding the blade up again； and the man in the white shirt followed its rise with his eyes while he still sang without a tremor in his voice。 The blade reached the top； and the singing ceased at last as the executioners fell on the man with the white shirt and led him to the guillotine。 Then the blade fell with another echoing crash。
It seemed that this was to be the last execution； for the soldiers began to push the civilians back towards their homes； and Hornblower urged his horse forward through the dissolving crowd。 He was nearly thrown from his saddle when the animal plunged sideways； snorting furiously…it had scented the horrid heap that lay beside the guillotine。 At the side of the square was a house with a balcony； and Hornblower looked up at it in time to see Pouzauges still standing there； wearing his white uniform and blue ribbon； his staff about him and his hands on the rail。 There were sentries at the door； and to one of them Hornblower handed over his horse as he entered； Pouzauges was just descending the stairs。
'Good evening； sir；' said Pouzauges with perfect courtesy。 'I am glad you have found your way to headquarters。 I trust it was without trouble？ We are about to dine and will enjoy your pany。 You have your horse； I suppose？ M。 de Villers here will give orders for it to be looked after； I am sure。'
It was all hard to believe。 It was hard to believe that thin polished gentleman had ordered the butchery that had just ended； it was hard to believe that the elegant young men with whom he sat at dinner were staking their lives on the overthrow of a barbarous but lusty young republic。 But it was equally hard to believe； when he climbed into a four…poster bed that night； that he； Midshipman Horatio Hornblower； was in imminent deadly peril himself。
Outside in the street women wailed as the headless corpses； the harvest of the executions； were carried away； and he thought he would never sleep； but youth and fatigue had their way； and he slept for most of the night； although he awoke with the feeling that he had just been fighting off a nightmare。 Everything was strange to him in the darkness； and it was several moments before he could account for the strangeness。 He was in a bed and not…as he had spent the preceding three hundred nights…in a hammock； and the bed was steady as a rock instead of swaying about with the lively motion of a frigate。 The stuffiness about him was the stuffiness of bed curtains； and not the stuffiness of the midshipmen's berth with its pound smell of stale humanity and stale bilgewater。 He was on shore； in a house； in a bed； and everything about him was dead quiet； unnaturally so to a man accustomed to the noises of a wooden ship at sea。
Of course； he was in a house in the town of Muzillac in Brittany。 He was sleeping in the headquarters of Brigadier General the Marquis de Pouzauges； manding the French troops who constituted part of this expedition； which was itself part of a larger force invading Revolutionary France in the royalist cause。 Hornblower felt a quickening of the pulse； a faint sick feeling of insecurity； as he realized afresh that he was now in France； ten miles from the sea and the Indefatigable with only a rabble of Frenchmen…half of them mercenaries only nominally Frenchmen at that…around him to preserve him from death or captivity。 He regretted his knowledge of French…if he had had none he would not be here； and good fortune might even have put him among the British half…battalion of the 43rd guarding the ford a mile away。
It was partly the thought of the British troops which roused him out of bed。 It was his duty to see that liaison was kept up with them； and the situation might have changed while he slept。 He drew aside the bed curtains and stepped down to the floor； as his legs took the weight of his body they protested furiously…all the riding he had done yesterday had left every muscle and joint aching so that he could hardly walk。 But he hobbled in the darkness over to the window； found the latch of the shutters； and pushed them open。 A three…quarter moon was shining down into the empty street of the town； and looking down he could see the three…cornered hat of the sentry posted outside； and the bayonet reflecting the moonlight。 Returning from the window； he found his coat and his shoes and put them on； belted his cutlass about him； and then he crept downstairs as quietly as he could。 In the room off the entrance hall a tallow dip guttered on the table； and beside it a French sergeant slept with his head on his arms； lightly； for he raised his head as Hornblower paused in the doorway。 On the floor of the room the rest of the guard off duty were snoring stertorously； huddled together like pigs in a s