hatchway； were still jammed tight； calling for much labour to free them and to manhandle them under the hatchway to be hoisted out。
Hornblower； facing the problem； was distracted by a touch on his elbow when Matthews came up to speak to him。
'It ain't no go； sir；' said Matthews。 'She's lower in the water an' settlin' fast。'
Hornblower walked to the ship's side with him and looked over。 There could be no doubt about it。 He had been over the side himself and could remember the height of the waterline； and he had for a more exact guide the level of the fothered sail under the ship's bottom。 The brig was a full six inches lower in the water…and this after fifty tons of rice at least had been hoisted out and flung over the side。 The brig must be leaking like a basket； with water pouring in through the gaping seams to be sucked up immediately by the thirsty rice。
Hornblower's left hand was hurting him； and he looked down to discover that he was gripping the rail with it so tightly as to cause him pain； without knowing he was doing so。 He released his grip and looked about him； at the afternoon sun； at the tossing sea。 He did not want to give in and admit defeat。 The French captain came up to him。
'This is folly；' he said。 'Madness； sir。 My men are overe by fatigue。'
Over by the hatchway； Hornblower saw； Hunter was driving the French seamen to their work with a rope's end； which he was using furiously。 There was not much more work to be got out of the Frenchmen； and at that moment the Marie Galante rose heavily to a wave and wallowed down the further side。 Even his inexperience could detect the sluggishness and ominous deadness of her movements。 The brig had not much longer to float； and there was a good deal to do。
'I shall make preparations for abandoning the ship； Matthews；' he said。
He poked his chin upwards as he spoke； he would not allow either a Frenchman or a seaman to guess at his despair。
'Aye aye； sir；' said Matthews。
The Marie Galante carried a boat on chocks abaft the mainmast； at Matthews' summons the men abandoned their work on the cargo and hurried to the business of putting food and water in her。
'Beggin' your pardon； sir；' said Hunter aside to Hornblower； 'but you ought to see you have warm clothes； sir。 I been in an open boat ten days once； sir。'
'Thank you； Hunter；' said Hornblower。
There was much to think of Navigating instruments； Charts； pass…would he be able to get a good observation with his sextant in a tossing little boat？ mon prudence dictated that they should have all the food and water with them that the boat could carry； but…Hornblower eyed the wretched craft dubiously…seventeen men would kill it to overflowing anyway。 He would have to leave much to the judgement of the French captain and of Matthews。
The tackles were manned and the boat was swayed up from the chocks and lowered into the water in the tiny lee afforded on the lee quarter。 The Marie Galante put her nose into a wave； refusing to rise to it； green water came over the starboard bow and poured aft along the deck before a sullen wallow on the part of the brig sent it into the scuppers。 There was not much time to spare…a rending crash from below told that the cargo was still swelling and forcing the bulkheads。 There was a panic among the Frenchmen； who began to tumble down into the boat with loud cries。 The French captain took one look at Hornblower and then followed them； two of the British seamen were already over the side fending off the boat。
'Go along；' said Hornblower to Matthews and Carson； who still lingered。 He was the captain； it was his place to leave the ship last。
So waterlogged was the brig now that it was not at all difficult to step down into the boat from the deck； the British seamen were in the sternsheets and made room for him。
'Take the tiller； Matthews；' said Hornblower； he did not feel he was petent to handle that over…loaded boat。 'Shove off； there！'
The boat and the brig parted pany； the Marie Galante； with her helm lashed； poked her nose into the wind and hung there。 She had acquired a sudden list； with the starboard side scuppers nearly under water。 Another wave broke over her deck； pouring up to the open hatchway。 Now she righted herself； her deck nearly level with the sea； and then she sank； on an even keel； the water closing over her； her masts slowly disappearing。 For an instant her sails even gleamed under the green water。
'She's gone；' said Matthews。
Hornblower watched the disappearance of his first mand。 The Marie Galante had been entrusted to him to bring into port； and he had failed； failed on his first independent mission。 He looked very hard at the setting sun； hoping no one would notice the tears that were filling his eyes。
CHAPTER THREE … THE PENALTY OF FAILURE
Daylight crept over the tossing waters of the Bay of Biscay to reveal a small boat riding on its wide expanses。 It was a very crowded boat； in the bows huddled the French crew of the sunken brig Marie Galante； amidships sat the captain and his mate； and in the sternsheets sat Midshipman Horatio Hornblower and the four English seamen who had once constituted the prize…crew of the brig。 Hornblower was seasick； for his delicate stomach； having painfully accustomed itself to the motion of the Indefatigable； rebelled at the antics of the small boat as she pitched jerkily to her sea…anchor。 He was cold and weary as well as seasick after his second night without sleep…he had been vomiting spasmodically all through the hours of darkness； and in the depression which seasickness brings he had thought gloomily about the loss of the Marie Galante。 If he had only remembered earlier to plug that shot…hole！ Excuses came to his mind only to be discarded。 There had been so much to do； and so few men to do it with…the French crew to guard； the damage aloft to repair； the course to set。 The absorbent qualities of the cargo of rice which the Marie Galante carried had deceived him when he had remembered to sound the well。 All this might be true； but the fact remained that he had lost his ship； his first mand。 In his own eyes there was no excuse for his failure。
The French crew had wakened with the dawn and were chattering like a nest of magpies； Matthews and Carson beside him were moving stiffly to ease their aching joints。
'Breakfast； sir？' said Matthews。
It was like the games Hornblower had played as a lonely little boy； when he had sat in the empty pig…trough and pretended he was cast away in an open boat。 Then he had parcelled out the bit of bread or whatever it was which he had obtained from the kitchen into a dozen rations； counting them carefully； each one to last a day。 But a small boy's eager appetite had made those days very short； not more than five minutes long； after standing up in the pig…trough and shading his eyes and looking round the horizon for the succour that he could not discover； he would sit down again； tell himself that the life of a castaway was hard； and then decide that another night had passed and that it。 was time to eat another ration from his dwindling supply。 So here under Hornblower's eye the French captain and mate served out a biscuit of hard bread to each person in the boat； and filled the pannikin for each man in turn from the water breakers under the thwarts。 But Hornblower when he sat in the pig…trough； despite his vivid imagination； never thought of this hideous seasickness； of the cold and the cramps； nor of how his skinny posterior would ache with its constant pressure against the hard timbers of the sternsheets； nor； in the sublime self…confidence of childhood； had he ever thought how heavy could be the burden of responsibility on the shoulders of a senior naval officer aged seventeen。
He dragged himself back from the memories of that recent childhood to face the present situation。 The grey sky； as far as his inexperienced eye could tell； bore no presage of deterioration in the weather。 He wetted his finger and held it up； looking in the boat's pass to gauge the direction of the wind。
'Backing westerly a little； sir；' said Matthews； who had been copying his movements。
'That's so；' agreed Hornblower； hurriedly going through in his mind his recent lessons in boxing the pass。 His course to weather Ushant was nor'…east by north； he knew； and the boat close hauled would not lie closer than eight points off the wind…he had lain…to to the sea…anchor all night because the wind had been ing from too far north to enable him to steer for England。 But now the wind had backed。 Eight points from nor'…east by north was nor'…west by west； and the wind was even more westerly than that。 Close hauled he could weather Ushant and even have a margin for contingencies； to keep him clear of the lee shore； which the seamanship books and his own mon sense told him was so dangerous。
'We'll make sail； Matthews；' he said； his hand was still grasping the biscuit which his rebellious stomach refused to accept。
'Aye aye； sir。'
A shout to the Frenchmen crowded in the bows drew their attention； in the circumstances it hardly needed Hornblower's halting French to direct them to carry out the obvious task of getting in the sea…anchor。 But it was not too easy； with the