Hornblower: Mutiny Page #5

But later for you.

The lieutenants first

as their lofty rack decrees.

You...

Mr. Hornblower

you will resume

your continuous watch

for a further 36 hours

and these three gentlemen

can report to you

when every watch is called.

Aye, aye, sir.

And at every hour of every watch

two, four

and six bells

every watch, day and night,

every hour.

And they're to be

properly dressed.

Let there be no slackness in the

execution of this order-- none!

I will have means of knowing

if I am obeyed or not.

Dr. Clive.

Mr. Buckland.

Mr. Buckland.

May I rely on your

confidentiality?

Good, good, good.

The captain...

The captain?

Do you think...

How would you describe

his mental... powers

his mental state?

I would not presume to describe

my captain's mental state.

You can't have failed

to notice

his management

of the ship.

I would not presume,

Mr. Buckland.

I advise you

not to either, sir.

Ambition is one thing...

Ambition? What do you mean?

I'm talking about

the indiscipline of the crew.

The ship is barely manageable.

Hasn't it occurred to you

that you would be captain?

What? What are you

talking about?

For God's sake, man

if the captain were declared

unfit

you would be acting captain

master under guard

and all the rest of it

sole arbiter

of all lives aboard.

Sir.

Matthews.

How many hours is it

now, sir?

Thirty-five.

Well done, sir.

Managed 19 hours myself

once before.

Collapsed-- dead on my face.

What happened then?

The captain was

a kind man, sir.

He gave me

a dozen lashes

and let the whole

matter drop.

Pray God I'm as fortunate.

Indeed, sir.

Not that...

Let us hope not, Matthews

A lively crew.

Not all, sir.

Some of the men don't

like it any more than I do.

Watch your tongue, Matthews.

Sorry, sir.

I speak for a third

of the men, sir.

Carry on, Mr. Matthews.

Aye, aye, sir.

Mr. Wellard.

You understand your duty,

Mr. Wellard?

I do, sir.

Good luck.

I didn't know you

were a dancing man, sir.

Best keep it down,

would you.

Who threw that?

The captain will hear of this.

And he'll have a right laugh

when he does!

BUCKLAND:

Suppose we declare him

unfit for command.

Suppose we put

him in irons.

We'd have to be quick

and sharp about it

if we do it at all.

The hands might follow him...

But suppose we

were quick and

sharp about it.

Surely there must

be some chance...

Sir...

Horatio?

Listen.

:

I thought I'd find you here.

Did you, indeed?

Our wardroom is deserted.

I thought you might be

up to something.

I thought you might feel

that something had to be done.

I'm not sure I follow you,

Mr. Bush.

About the captain.

What?

I thought you might feel

that the captain wasn't fit

for command...

Mr. Bush...

as I do.

I think we're all

of one mind,

Mr. Bush.

Well, in that case,

I'd be very glad

if you allowed me to join you.

Mr. Wellard.

I was expecting

to see

Mr. Hornblower

on watch.

Call of nature,

Mr. Hobbs.

Ah.

Well, I'll just

wait a moment

for his return.

BUCKLAND:

He's made a mockery of us.

Officers on continuous watch.

That's as good

as a death sentence.

And Mr. Hornblower here--

how many hours

has it been?

It's certainly a novel approach

to captaincy.

Novel? What about Wellard?

I like it no more than you,

Mr. Kennedy.

BUCKLAND:

So do we

act now?

Do we take a chance...

and declare him unfit?

And in Kingston,

sir...

what will await

us there?

A court-martial.

Why? Why? What on earth for?

Well, this is mutiny,

Mr. Buckland.

Mutiny.

Well, perhaps I should

check the wardroom

to see that

Mr. Hornblower

is all right.

I hardly think

that necessary,

Mr. Hobbs.

Well, we wouldn't

want anything untoward

to have happened,

would we, sir?

Where are they,

Mr. Wellard?

HORNBLOWER:

This is the point.

It'll sound different in court.

We've been punished;

that could happen to anyone.

It's no grounds for mutiny.

And the crew?

Double rum,

make and mend.

It's not for us

to criticize the captain...

so the court will think.

But when they see him,

Horatio...

He's cunning...

and we all know he can talk

and find a reason for anything.

And he's plausible.

Wellard? A midshipman,

no friends, no family.

What will the court say

when they hear

the captain had a boy beaten

a couple of times?

They will laugh.

And so would we...

if we didn't know.

We will hang for it.

22 years...

I've held my commission.

And now he'll break me.

He'll break this

whole bloody ship.

Sir...

Sir...

Oh... Hobbs.

You said to

tell you, sir.

Yes, who?

Lieutenants

Hornblower, Bush,

Kennedy and Buckland...

Yes.

not on watch, sir

nor in

the wardroom

and I thought...

Yes, my God, so do I!

:

Call out the guard!

You heard me, Sergeant,

there's mutiny brewing--

black, bloody mutiny!

Call out

the guards!

If you find two or more

of these gentlemen together

you will tell them to stay

exactly where they are.

Forward you go, Mr. Hobbs

to the hull amidship.

Aye, aye, sir!

Flush them out,

the verminous scum!

Shh!

Mr. Wellard,

why aren't you

on watch?

The captain said

he's coming.

Oh, God, holy God!

Anyone else?

He sent Hobbs

to cover the amidships section.

He's turned out

the marine guard.

Mr. Wellard,

come with me!

You three

get forward

and scatter

when you're

on deck.

Quickly, now!

You two...

go forward.

Come on!

:

There's the captain.

Help me,

help me here!

Thank you.

Let's get

the grating.

Mr. Wellard, this way.

Who's there?

It's me, Hobbs, sir.

Where are they?

They're around here

somewhere.

Let's split up here.

Over there.

Down there!

After them!

Hurry!

Hurry!

I hear you.

Out!

Out!

Or do I shoot you

where you stand?

Run, go on,

get out!

Stay where you are!

They've abandoned me.

Universal treachery.

Universal desertion.

My men, where are my true men?

Keep away.

Sir...

Keep your distance.

Sir...

Hold on-- what was that?

Come on.

BUCKLAND:

Is he dead?

Dr. Clive is

with him now, sir.

What happened?

It would appear

he fell... Mr. Bush.

Fell?

KENNEDY:

So it would

seem, sir.

Are you all right,

Mr. Wellard?

You're shaking.

Quite well, sir,

considering.

Mr. Wellard,

would you kindly

retrieve the

captain's pistols?

They could be

vital evidence, sir.

Ah...

yes, indeed.

Sir...

Captain was talking

about mutiny, sir.

"We've got to catch

the mutineers," he says.

Did he give you

any indication

as to the identity

of these mutineers?

No, sir.

But, sir... Mr. Hobbs

was with him.

Might have confided

in him, sir.

Yes, thank you.

Dismissed.

We need to sway him up.

Yes, very well.

Mr. Bush, get

a tackle rigged.

Aye, aye, sir.

Mr. Hornblower!

Mr. Kennedy!

Mr. Hornblower...

about this... accident.

Sir.

Never mind.

No, never mind.

It'll keep.

WELLARD:

Sir?

Thank you,

Mr. Wellard.

Lift him together now... steady.

The pistols, sir.

Very well...

over there.

Will he survive?

I think so.

Will he recover?

Depends on what you

mean by "recover."

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