Hornblower: Mutiny Page #3

than to conspire

against his captain...

against his lawful superior

set in authority over him

by act of His Most Gracious

Majesty King George II;

has learned that it

is the painful duty...

Picking on Wellard

again?

Yes.

Is that... reasonable,

do you think?

I don't see where

reason comes into it.

SAWYER:

Mr. Wellard is sulking.

Hmph.

So you decided to hold me up in

derision in front of the hands!?

You and that cub,

Mr. Hornblower--

you plotted and planned

so that my lawful authority

should be set

at naught!

No, not at all, sir.

Why attempt to deny it?

Which one of you was it planned

to snag that reef point?

No one, sir.

"No one, sir."

How can that

be? No one.

It was a plot.

So you pretend to be busy

to hide your face,

because of the guilt

that is written

upon it.

You think to deceive me.

I gave orders that

Mr. Wellard should

test the

glasses against

each other, sir.

You are sadly mistaken,

Mr. Kennedy

if you believe there is any

good in this young fellow...

unless, of course

you are part and parcel

of this infamous affair.

I was merely observing,

sir, that he was busy

only because I

told him to be so.

What do you say, Mr. Bush?

We can rely on your judgment,

I'm sure.

The boy knows nothing, sir.

Doesn't know the bobstay

from the spanker boom.

Oh, no, Mr. Bush.

You're too honest.

I knew it the moment

I first saw you.

You don't understand these

poisonous young reptiles.

We must dredge

the truth out of him.

Oh, yes.

Get below, Mr. Wellard.

I'll have it

out of you.

By God, I will.

Quartermaster,

run forward

and get Mr. Matthews to lay

aft here, and his mates.

Quartermaster:

Aye, aye, sir.

Another dozen, and

he'll coo like a dove.

We must intervene.

The captain is

master of the ship.

And he sought

your opinion, sir

which, I note,

contained nothing

to dissuade him

from this beating

upon which he

is now embarked.

Mr. Hornblower,

may I suggest

you take the time

to remind Mr. Kennedy

that he is merely

fourth lieutenant

aboard this ship?

He has

the captain's ear.

Why did he not speak

when he had the chance?

To say what?

The captain's

blood was up.

For Mr. Bush

to have spoken up

for Mr. Wellard

would only have

provoked him further.

You think I should

have held my tongue.

You think I made it worse.

You acted for the best.

Oh... well

there's precious sop

for my conscience.

Lookout:

All on deck, there.

Sail-ho!

Where away?

Four points abaft

the beam, sir.

Go aloft with your

glass, Mr. Kennedy.

See what you make of it.

Aye, aye, sir.

STYLES:

Matthews.

Hello.

We're wanted aft.

What now?

Bring your cane.

Oh, hell, not another one.

Who is it this time?

Young Wellard again.

There, sir,

just forward

of the backstay.

French frigate, 36 guns.

She's cleared

for action!

36, eh?

Should we inform

the captain, sir?

She's catching us fast.

Disturb the lion

on his prey?

Rather you than

me, Mr. Bush.

I'll go, sir.

No... no need, Mr. Hornblower--

36 guns to our 74.

They'd never dare.

There's two of them.

Two frigates!

Damn.

That's changed the odds a bit.

HORNBLOWER:

Sir!

SAWYER:

Mr. Hornblower,

you'd better have

a good reason for

this interruption.

Yes, sir,

Mr. Buckland's respects.

There are two French frigates

on the starboard quarter.

Tell Mr. Buckland I shall

be on deck directly.

Boatswain.

Sir, they're

cleared for action.

Thank you, Mr. Hornblower.

That will be all.

They'll be up with us

in minutes, sir.

Damn it, man, we can

blow them to pieces

long before we come into range

of their piddling

little popguns!

Not if we're not

cleared for action, sir.

You will answer

for this later.

We thought perhaps,

sir, that, um...

Clear for action.

Clear for action, damn you!

Beat to quarters!

Come on, men, look lively!

Open the stern port.

By God, they're fast.

Mr. Hobbs, you

will oblige me

by taken a rope's end

to those men

if they don't bestir

their miserable selves!

What's wrong with them?

HOBBS:

Aye, aye, sir!

Come on, sailor.

Smarten yourselves up, men.

They're drunk!

That's what's wrong

with the buggers.

Beware a loose tongue,

Mr. Matthews.

You never know

where it might lead.

My tongue may be loose,

Mr. Hobbs

but at least it's not raw

from licking the captain's ass.

Come on, put your backs into it!

My God, she'll be across

our stern any moment.

God help us.

I'll have no muttering

on my deck.

Where are those damn

powder monkeys?!

BOY:

Right here!

First powder monkey

to stern chase,

please, Mr. Wellard.

Aye, aye, sir.

Mind that tackle!

Do you think we'll

be cleared in time?

HORNBLOWER:

If this crew weren't

such an ill-disciplined,

drunken rabble, we would.

That's not what I asked.

Nevertheless, it's

the point at issue.

Mind that, damn it!

Way for powder!

Way for powder!

Way for powder!

Way for powder!

Way for powder!

Mr. Wellard, here!

Sir.

If she shows any signs

of bringing her

guns to bear

shout it out

immediately.

Aye, aye, sir.

Come away,

look lively!

Load!

WELLARD:

They're running out the guns

on the starboard side, sir!

Shot!

Sir, I think she's

about to open fire!

Belay that shot-- run her out

as she is, damn it!

We're firing wadding, Mr. Bush.

Wadding!

What the devil?!

She has to see

our smoke.

None of our guns

is ready.

Very well.

Shot!

Fire!

Sir?

Stand clear!

Reload.

Frenchman bearing

further away, sir.

Very good, Mr. Wellard.

Run her out!

Fire!

Fire!

She's running off now, sir.

We've frightened her off, sir.

Very good...

very good.

An original concept, Horatio

to fire the contents

of your cot at him.

It would certainly have

put me off my aim.

The Frenchman fell off the wind

at the first whiff of it.

Well, Mr. Hornblower.

Sir.

I'm informed that you

fired your stern chaser

with no shot in it.

Is that true?

HORNBLOWER:

The Frenchman

was bearing away

preparatory to firing, sir.

I thought it

of capital importance

to make him think again,

however briefly

so as to give Mr. Bush

time to fire properly

before we received

the full broadside, sir.

Subtle,

Mr. Hornblower,

subtle.

How long did it take you

to cook up that story?

Is this to be your

career, Mr. Hornblower

covering up your

incompetence with

ingenious fairy stories?

I submit, sir, that the ploy

caused the Frenchman to...

You submit?!

Good.

Submit to just criticism

and in time, you

might make a seaman.

Sir, with respect...

Mr. Hornblower

and I agreed

upon a course

of action

that his stern chaser

should fire its wadding.

You, too, Mr. Bush?

Are you joining

Mr. Hornblower?

No, sir, it

might have been

the wrong course

but I agreed to it.

Mr. Hornblower

posted Mr. Wellard

to observe the French frigate.

Mr. Wellard... ah, yes.

I'm obliged,

Mr. Bush,

much obliged.

Mr. Hornblower and I have

some unfinished business

with regard to Mr. Wellard.

MATTHEWS:

One...

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Three...

Four...

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