Hornblower: The Examination for Lieutenant Page #6

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You, sentry there, make ready

to give them a shot.

- Come on Hammond,for God's sake, man.

- Move yourself, sir.

Darn it, Harvey.

For God's sake, what are

you doing, man?

She's heading for the Indefatigable,

sir.

- Pull for the Dreadnaught.

- Darn it, I'm the senior, here.

Pull for the Calypso.

Pull, men, pull!

Pull for your lives!

There she is!

She's swinging right!

Heaven help them aboard there.

- She'll be alongside her in a minute.

- With a man at her wheel,

- she could be steered clear.

- Are you mad?

Sir,nobody could survive on that

- The boy's right,we should try

Pull! Pull away!

Pull away, darn it and you may

live through this! Pull!

The heat is too great to board her.

Now lay her under the counter.

Jump for it.

Let me go, sir.

The Indefatigable is my ship.

Be my guest, Mr. Hornblower.

Be my guest.

Use spars to fend her off!

Hand pump!

We've got to get to that wheel.

- Here, sir, take this!

- Right.

- Hard-a-port.

- The wheel's jammed, sir!

Here, cast off this lashing.

Cast it off.

- Now, hard over! Hard over!

- Hard over it is, sir.

She's answering the helm, sir!

Fend her off, there!

Our stern will touch her.

Hard-a-lee! Hard-a-lee!

Hard-a-lee, aye, aye, sir!

Put out that fire!

- Put that fire out!

- Fire on the deck!

- Midships!

- Midships, aye, aye, sir.

We'll lay her ashore over

neutral ground.

The tiller ropes have burnt away,sir,

she can't be steered.

Right, Mr. Hornblower.

Abandon ship.

Captain Foster! Captain Foster!

Save yourself, man. Jump!

Into the water!

Captain Foster! Captain Foster!

Captain!

Mr. Hornblower, are you all right?

A little singed, sir.

Where is the boat? It's supposed

to be following us

- to take us off.

- I can't see it, sir.

Ahoy!

Ahoy, Hammond! Ahoy!

Darn it, they should have been

following us.

Over there, sir!

- Captain Foster!

- Hammond!

We have you, sir.

Come on! Over here!

Quickly, man!

Here, sir.

I'll have your hand, sir.

Your hand sir. Well-done, sir.

Hornblower!

- Thank goodness, sir.

- Yes, but no thanks to you, sir.

We followed as fast as we could get

these rock scorpions to row

Mr. Hornblower, come aboard, sir.

You were supposed to be following

us to pick us up, sir.

I thought at least I could rely on

a brother captain.

- What are you implying, sir?

- I make no implication, sir.

But, others may read implications

into a simple statement

- of fact.

- I consider that an offensive remark,sir.

I congratulate you on

your perspicacity, sir.

Would you care to withdraw

your statement with an apology?

I would not!

Very well. We will continue this

further when we reach shore.

We will sir, when I shall expect

an apology from you.

My God sir, I will not stand

for this! I shall have recompense

- in a duel at first light.

- I shall look forward to that

- with pleasure, sir.

- I shall send a friend to wait on you

He will be most welcome

What are you staring at, man?

Nothing, sir.

My life is in your... debt,

Mr. Hornblower.

But not for long, it would seem, sir.

In all my years at sea, I have

witnessed

many an act of courage,but that, sir,

must rank

amongst the most memorable.

My men owe you their lives, and I

owe you my ship.

These events will be noted

in your records.

Thank-you, sir.

Might I inquire about

my examination, sir?

That particular examination Board

may never reassemble,I fancy.

Now look here, Hornblower,

from what Harvey told me, you were

flat aback, about to loose your spars

with the Dover Cliffs

under your lee. One more minute,

you would have been failed.

It was the warning gun that saved

you, was it not?

Yes, sir.

I think in the last few weeks

we've seen you face

and pass a much sterner examination.

- Sir?

- I think you've tasted the bitter brew

that is a captain's life.

I think next time, sir,

- you'll be better prepared.

- Yes, sir.

- Mr. Hornblower.

- Sir?

It has been an honour

to serve with you.

And with you, sir.

Mr. Hornblower.

Mr. Bracegirdle, sir.

The officers would appreciate

your attendance

in a celebratory tot of rum.

I shall attend presently.

Something disturbs your thoughts,

I fancy.

Just thinking of the distances

we travel,

and yet how far we've still

to sail as men.

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