Cloak and Dagger Broadcasts

Horatio Hornblower - Return To The Sea

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Duration:: 31m
Broadcast on:: 05 Jul 2024
Audio Format:: mp3

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Answer by Chumbacacino, no purchase necessary, VGW Group, void we're prohibited by law, 18+ terms and conditions apply. We present Nigel Antony in The Hornblower Story, adapted from Four of the C.S. Forest and Novels by Val Gilgud, with Terrence Skeleton as William Bush. Part three from Lieutenant Hornblower, The Landing. "I've known bad moments at sea, comms when you wondered if the ship will ever move again. Americans, a cannon going adrift with the realization that you're up against heavier metal than you can tackle, a half-mutinous crew, a captain you couldn't trust. Bad all of them, yet I think I'd take any of them rather than land at night on a beach I don't know, to tackle the storming of a fort with a party of men, every one of them depending on his officers to know what to do and to give him a lead. It was how it was when we went ashore, Lieutenant Bush and I, on the Simana Peninsula that night, with 180 seaman and marines from Rennion, knowing that the fort on the hills above us must be carried by dawn, or we should all be dead or prisoners. "My party all ashore and ready to move, Mr. Bush." "Very good, Mr. Hornblower, thank you." "Should I start up a gully with the advance guards, sir?" "Do, sir." "Stop, oh lins!" "Oh, sir." "Follow me closely. Every man is to keep in touch with the man ahead of him. Now, remember, your muskets aren't loaded so it's no use snapping them. Cold steel if we run into the enemy." "Oh, I have, sir." "If any one of you is full enough to load and fire, I promise you we'll get four dozen at the gangway tomorrow." "What?" "What, sir?" "Bring up the rear." "I have, sir." "Follow me, starting on the right of the line." "Your marine's kept in waiting." "All presently correct, sir, ready to move off." "Thank you. Then we may as well start." "That." "Mr. Abbott." "I shall go with the marine detachment, follow us, and be sure to keep in touch." "Aye, aye, sir." "The climb that isn't going to be easy." "Aye, sir." "Absolutely silent. Do you understand?" "Aye, aye, sir." "Oh, sir." "Yes, please, then." "This is well-hard, Mr. Bush. Mr. Homblow sent me back to Hector's guide, and there's grass-lembing ground." "Oh, sir." "Oh, sir." "Yes, please, then." "This is well-hard, Mr. Bush. Mr. Homblow sent me back to Hector's guide, and there's grass-lembing ground." "Oh, sir." "Yes, please, then." "This is well-hard, Mr. Bush. Mr. Homblow sent me back to Hector's guide, and there's grass-lembing beginning about here." "I'm neither deaf nor blind, Mr. Wellard." "Captain Whiting?" "Sir." "We'll go forward. You're in touch with Mr. Abbott." "Yes, sir." "Very well, Canyon Homblow." "Yes, sir." "Who goes there?" "Friend, Mr. Homblow. Mr. Bush is with me." "Oh. Glad to see you, sir." "Oh, sir." "Oh, sir." "The Bush is with me." "Oh, sir." "My party has formed up just ahead. I've sent on two reliable men to act as scouts." "Very good, Mr. Homblow. Captain Whiting." "Sir." "All your men in hand." "All but one says his brain is ankle. I've left him back there." "Then letting your men res-scapt in Whiting, sir. They hardly drink for climbing cliffs and the tropics." "You're a report, Mr. Homblow." "We're on the crest, sir." "You can see into the bay from over there." "How many miles from the fort, do you think?" "Well, three or zero. But less than four miles, anyway. Dawn and four miles from now and the moon rises in half an hour. There's some sort of track along the crest, sir. As I judge, it should lead to the fort." "A treasonable." "If you'll permit me, sir, I'll put on a head and see how the land lies." "Very good, Mr. Homblow." "It's a definite trail, sir. It crosses a gully just ahead, not a serious obstacle." "Then go forward with your party, if you please." "Aye, sir." "Mr. Bush, sir." "Yeah." "Well, not again, sir. Mr. Homblow says another gully-head, crossing the path, and this cattle, sir, will disturb them in their warning about." "I understand, Mr. Wellitt, I'll warn the men. Tell Mr. Homblow, if I'm going to hop the advance for fifteen minutes." "Aye, sir." "Halt, sir." "Halt." "Halt." "Yes, Captain Whiteing." "Trouble. With one of your seaman, drunk, must have had spirits in his canteen." "What, even done with him?" "Well, you started to make a noise while my marines knocked him out. He's quiet now. I'll do a steady man." "Look after him, let me go on." "Right." "That, you, Mr. Homblow." "It is, sir. I've sighted the fort. A mile ahead or there about, sir, there's another gully, the fort's beyond that. You can see it against the moon, maybe half a mile, maybe less. I've left orders with my party to stand fast at the gully while I report it back to you." "Half a mile from the gully to the fort, you see." "I just make less than that, sir." "Very well. I shall remain here under eight daylights." "Yes, Mr. Bush. May I go on and enjoy my party?" "Good, mate. Shall I give permission? Will my men to load, sir?" "No. Captain White in cold steel." "Just as you say, sir." "Now, listen, I want you to warn your men individually. They may run into stray cattle, I don't want any silly mistakes. Meanwhile, they can rest, sleep if they like. Burn it's not to be fixed till you get my work to advance. And when we do, I want us to reach the fort in one wave, not in scattered twos and threes. Is that clear?" "Quite, sir." "Very good. Carry on, sir. The sky's beginning to pale, but it's still some time." As things turned out, the waiting had been the worst part of the business. The Spanish centuries were careless or sleepy. Bush brought up his men and fine style, using my grapples to heist them up to the ramparts and axman to hue their way through a wooden salad port into one of the bastards. In a few minutes from earliest dawn to tropical sunrise, the fort had been carried. Most of the garrison had bolted down the hillside from the reeking bayonets of the Marines. In the business of calling men drunk with fighting back to discipline, to decide with Bush and Captain Whiting on our next move. To the left, the peninsula dropped sharply in a series of jagged headlands to the deep blue of the ocean. Further round still was the sapphire surface of Scotsman's bay, and there, with her backed misen-toppsel catching the rising sun, lay renown, looking at their distance like some lovely toy. "Good morning, Mr. Humbler." "Congratulations, sir." "Thank you." "We've got possession, sir. I've posted a petty officer and some men in charge of the guns. If you've got away, the Marines are after them now." "Not enough to travel, as I fancy." "No, sir." "I've 40 prisoners under guard at the main gate, Captain Whiting's collecting the rest." "Very well." "What's the building there at the foot of the ramp?" "Prevision store, sir. I've put centuries on guard. There's liquor there." "Double those centuries. In their present state of the men get at liquor, there'll be no controlling them." "Mr. Abbott?" "Mr. Abbott?" "What the hell do you think you've been doing? I've not seen you since the attack began." "Sorry, sir." "Sorry, sorry." "A bit of trouble crossing the ditch, Mr. Bush." "That's no excuse. Take a leaf out of Young Wellers' book here." "He's stayed beside Mr. Humbler. You should have stayed beside me." "Yes, sir." "Get ready to signal the ship. You should have been ready for that five minutes ago. Clear three guns and find the man who was carrying our colour and bend it over the Spanish flag. And jump to it." "Hi, sir." "Mr. Humbler, try to find out who was in command of the don." "Yes, sir. Come with me, Mr. Weather. "Hi, sir." "Sir, it is me, sir." "Dear Mr. Bush." "You need a party to help carry the wounded into the shade. See to it, if you please." "Until someone has stopped that damn bell. It's the living I'm worried about. They can say a must for their deader sundown." "Oh, sir." "Duns, Chris, sir. May I draw a pair of charges from the four magazines?" "How else do you imagine you can fire your guns, Mr. Abbott? Should you come and sense?" "Sir, sir." "Yes, Mr. Welled. What now? Can't you see I'm busy?" "Mr. Humbler sends his respects. And could you please join me up on the tower, there? He's an surgeon, sir." "Oh, very well. But Mr. Humbler should know that I have a good many things on my mind at the moment." "Swap the guns and reload." "Well?" "Well?" "Sir, might I borrow your telescope, Mr. Bush?" "Tell us, Cope. Is that all you wanted me for?" "Here." "I merely want to see if renowned has heard her signal gun, sir." "Well? Have they?" "Yes, sir. She's bracing her mise and topsoil." "So far so good. She'll make the long beat back along the coast of the peninsula. What else?" "Out there, Mr. Bush. Up the bay beyond the battery. Now there's the town, Savannah, I think they call it, and you can see the shipping. Now they'll up anchor any minute now. You'll wish to see this for yourself, sir." "I see, erm, four small craft and no sales hoisted. Hard to tell what they are." "Easy to guess, sir. They didn't need big men of war here. If you handy craft with a couple of long guns, good lie up there. Dash out and step up prizes, then retire to the protection of the bay and the crossfire of the fort and the battery." "And we know what that meant." "Just so, sir. And those ships, or no by now, that we've got this fort, and they'll guess that as a result, Renan will be coming in after them as soon as she can get round the headland. They can sweep, tow, and cage, and it'll be out of the bay before we can say Jack Robinson." "What's more, they'll have a fair win for Martin Eake." "Likely enough?" "It'll take Renan hours to make that long beat back in the starboard tank." "She must get well out to see if she's the weather of the Cape." "No need to teach her grandmother, Mr. Hombloh." "Oh, sorry, sorry, sir. Now, wouldn't it be as well to man the guns here? We won't have them under fire for long. They'll be shallow-draft, and they can hug their opposite shore." "But it won't take much to sink 'em." "Particularly, if we use red-hot shots." "I see what you mean. Repay them in their own coin for what they did to renown." "Well, that's the idea, sir." "Well, we'll try. If those privateers get away, they might be the devil to pay." "Can you do it, Mr. Hombloh? You know how to heat shot." "I still find out, sir." "None of our men will know, they're seamen, and you can't heat shot at sea for fear of fire." "I expect I can find out, sir. Now, there's the furnace, and all the gear the dawns use down there." "By the way, had any breakfast yet?" "I know, Mr. Bush, have you?" "Other things to see to. Now mind that you do, and that's an order." "Oh, yes, sir. Maybe I have the telescope again, sir, before I get out." "Thank you." "Yes, I was right by George. That two masters warping out already. Less than an hour, I reckon, before she's within range. I'll get the guns, mad." Once down in the body of the fort, smoke was soon rising from the furnace in one corner and allowed crackling from inside it. Two long hand rolls projected from the far side of the furnace, balancing to the projected from the near side. All four were part of an iron grating, the center of which rested above the blazing fuel. Lying on that grating were rows of black shot. The seamen was plying a pair of billows. Other men in relays brought wood from where it had been piled by the Spaniards against their ramparts. "Open her up, let's see how she goes." "Yeah, getting pretty warm." "Try your spittle, Mr. Wellard, spittle, sir." "You can spittle wellard on that cannonball." "A sharpish lad, sharpish." "Hi, sir." "Ah, that boy got quick enough. Did you see, Wilton?" "I, sir. Will you try the devil?" "The tongs and bearers for the shot." "Ready?" "I'll wrap rags round your hands so you don't want to be skimmed." "Now, work the shots onto the bearers with the tongs." "Carefully!" "Then, roll them into the guns." "I tell them a water by each gun." "Now, bring the shots over to your guns." "Oh, they're there, let's teddy." "Teddy, they're there, teddy." "Sale is there!" "Are you others?" "Run the guns back, Wil." "Clear the embraces." "Yeah." "Dry wards in, then in with your wet wards, you ramers. Two to a gun." "It's not so easy, sir." "The dums could manage it to judge by the practice they made against us yesterday. We can better them surely." "Oh, I, sir." "That's better men, now, run up your guns." "You, for that point, over there, and fire!" "Well, Mr. Hombler." "A prospect's fair, Mr. Bush. Those gentlemen over on the point will be puzzled. I don't wonder what they're firing at." "And how long will it be, do you think, before a hot shot burns through one of those wards and explodes a gun?" "Ah, that I don't know. I shouldn't be surprised, sir, if we found out during the course of today." "Probably." "And what do you think you're doing, Wilton?" "Bringing up fresh charges, sir." "Get back away from my order, you understand?" "I am." "Swab out, now!" "Alright, alright." "Now, if you can't be too careful, you don't want any chance of live charges and red hot shot coming together on this platform, do you?" "Oh, no, sir." "Very well then." "Up! Fresh charges!" "This cartridge is their English, I wear to Mr. Bush." "English? What makes you say that?" "Well, I know. West Country's surge. Choked and stitched like that. They'll have got them out at English prizes." "Well, now, we'll hope that'll teach those privateers to leave our ships alone. If we can cut off their suppliers, the doms will be in a bad way against the blacks." "Let's hope so, sir." "That! Round those wards handsomely there. No powder in their borsamins will have you as discharged dead in the ship's books." "Standing down the bay, Mr. Humbler, if they're intent on making a bolt for it, it means they're not feeling too secure. I'd have expected them to try to recapture the fort. They could land a force at the peninsula and come down to attack. I wonder why they don't try it?" "It'll be long range, make sure of your aim." "We'll turn." "No." "Take a ranging shot." "Gun captains?" "Yes." "Make sure of your aim. Fire only when each gun best." "Yes, sir." "Number one, sir. Fire." "Take your aim more carefully." "No, sir." "Gun crews. Fire only when you're sure." "Why, sir?" "My telescope, Mr. Abbott." "Sir." "Thank you." "You're hitting, I think. Yes, by God, I can see smoke." "Fresh charges." "All right, sir." "And see that you swab out those guns properly." "Damn it, she's getting away from us." "Rain shortening, though." "Gun captains?" "Yes." "Get your coins in." "Ah, she's swinging round, sir." "What the hell?" "She's digging ground." "A fire." "And run a short deliberately, I think." "That's done it, then." "The first one, anyway." "Whoa!" "She's blown up, blow to places." "The fella can't have had hands to spare to fight the fire when we hit him." "Probably a shot through her deck and into the powder magazine." "Poor devils." "You don't sound too pleased about it." "Well, as I think you know, Mr. Bush, sir, I have a weak stomach." "Here comes the next vessel, nearly in range, and I Jupiter, the other Spanish schooners are turning back to anchor." "You bring up more shot, bear, man." "Yes, sir." "Gun captains." "Run up." "Train." "And fire." "And fire, as you get the aid." "Right, right, right." "The Spanish had no stomach for more, as renowned hoven sight in a wind that was fought internally, freshening him. Bush had his prisoners sorted out and ordered a watch to be set. It was only next morning when we saw a boat put out from the battery across the bay that we could take stock of what we'd achieved. The boat came in under a white flag, and off Samana Point Renau lay, waiting for the first puffs of sea breeze to bring it up the bay and then to touch with her landing party. Bush would not let the Spanish invite who arrived into the fort. He feared some roost, or an attempt by the enemy to gain intelligence of our actual strength. As I had a fair knowledge of Spanish, I was sent outside the ramparts to meet him with a small guard of our Marines, and orders to report back on the interview." "Well, Mr. Humbler." "He's a colonel or tegger, Mr. Bush. His credentials are signed by the captain-general that is across the bay." What does he want? "First to know about the prisoners, the women of the garrison, especially." "You had told them they weren't hurt." "Yes, sir. I added that I would ask your permission to release the women to him. It would make matters easier, yes, sir. Also, I thought that if I appeared agreeable, he would speak more freely." "Yes, yes, and?" "Don't you think he might take away the wounded as well, sir? It would free some of our hands, and we can't give him proper treatment here. If we released to him all the prisoners, he would give us his promise that none of them would serve again while renowned as in Spanish waters." "Hmm. He needs thinking about. Sounds fishy to me." "No, he'd keep his words, say he's a Spanish gentleman." "He is, is he?" "And we can't pack a hundred prisoners or more aboard renowned, sir." "I agree. They'd be an infernal nuisance. Anything else?" "He hinted at the possibility of arranging a capitulation, sir." "Dudeuse. And what did he mean by that?" "It's a render, sir. Evacuation of all this end of the island by the dawns." "My god." "I hope you didn't." "You know, of course not, sir." "I'd tell him I couldn't bargain with him, but you could, Mr. Bush." "No, Mr. Humber, I could not. That's a matter for Mr. Buckland to deal with, if anyone." "Well, if I might suggest something..." "Go on." "It would take some time to make any arrangement about prisoners, Mr. Bush. There's the question of their parole, and I could argue about its wording." "Yes." "Then it would take more time to ferry the prisoners across the bay. Now, such a ruse would give Renown time to work up. She can anchor down there like a cork in a bottle. This schooners won't be able to get out, and Mr. Buckland can take over the negotiations should he wish to do, sir." "Very well. You may negotiate with the return of the prisoners on parole, but nothing else if you value your commission. I warn you, formally." "I understand, sir." "A suspension of hostilities during negotiations?" "I suppose so." "And you'll send a boat to Renown to make sure she doesn't open fire in a boat filled with Spaniards crossing the bay. Colonel Ortega will make a boat available to her." "It seems to me you're being mighty tender with these donns, Mr. Hornblower. In fact, you are taking too much upon yourself." "Sir." "I'd be glad if you'd remember that I'm in command here." "Yes, sir." "Oh, Helen, damnation. How about your own way? Whom will you send to Renown?" "Well, I could go myself, sir. I could tell Mr. Buckland everything necessary." "Very well. You better go, I suppose. But mark my words, Mr. Hornblower. You are to make it quite clear that I've not authorized negotiations. I take no responsibility for anything of the kind. Is that quite clear?" "Yes, sir." "And kindly bring Mr. Buckland here as soon as possible." "If I may say so, Mr. Buckland, I don't doubt that Colonel Ortega was sent by the captain-general to negotiate for the prisoners so that he might have a chance to put out the feeler regarding capitulation." "But you cannot be sure of that, Mr. Bush." "In his position, sir, would you mention a matter of such importance if not expressly authorized to do so?" "I would not." "Then I suggest that the captain-general had capitulation in mind from the moment he knew we had taken the force and Renown Grehanka in the bay in consequence. So if he's prepared for such a negotiation, it must mean he's either a paltruin or in really serious danger." "You talk like a sea lawyer, Mr. Hornblower." "Sir, I meant no disrespect. Of course, it is for you to decide where you're due to lie, sir." "Quite. Now I'm sure you wish to tell me what's behind all this." "The Spaniards have been holding this end of the island against the blacks for months, sir. Pader, lead, flint, shoes, they're probably a need of all of them." "That's true, sir, to judge from the condition of the prisoners we took." "Thank you, Mr. Bush." "And now, Renown has arrived, and you've cut the captain-general off from the sea. He doesn't know how long we should be staying here. He doesn't know your order, sir." "Never mind that." "If we stay, sir, you'll have to surrender. You'd rather bargain with us, sir, where he has something to bargain with, than wait and have to surrender without conditions to the blacks." "That I can understand. Better bring in this Colonel or Tago fellow. You say he speaks English." "He does, sir." "Very well." "Carnall or Tago, I believe?" "Sir." "Captain Buckland?" "I am Lieutenant Buckland, at present commanding his Britannic Majesty's ship, Renown." "I am honored, Lieutenant Buckland." "I understand you have terms for your Captain-General's surrender, in mind." "That is so? He will surrender all to you intact, military stores, the battery across the bay, everything. In the return he has only for a free passage for the garrison, men, ships, civilians and passports for our ships while on passage to any Spanish possession, Cuba or Puerto Rico." "And if I refuse, then we will fight, Senor. We will fight to the end rather than submit to dishonor." "Fine words, Colonel. If you compel us, they shall become deeds. What more can you do to us than you have already done? And there is another thing. You dare not stay longer in this island. There is the Yellow Fever, Vomito Negro, we call it." "Yes, I have heard of it, Colonel." "Our troops have lived with it all their lives. Many of them have heard it already. But yours?" "Well, everything in this." "Mr. Bush, will you kindly-" "My captain-general could ally himself with a rebel, Senor. They do not look upon the English as their friends. He could bring an army against you. That is my last word, Senor." "Very well, Colonel. I will consider the matter. You may leave us." "What do you think, Mr. Bush?" "He had some good arguments. On the other hand, we might turn the thumbscrews on him." "How?" "Bring renown up the bay." "You saw how tricky the channel was yesterday, and we'd still be under the fire of the battery on that side." "But we can run fasted on this side." "Yes, and nice fools, we'll look if we come in, find a matter of range, and we have to run out again under fire. It would only stiffen their resolve to go back on the terms that fellow offered." "The second repulse." "No, by God." "Mr. Hornblur?" "It'd be risky to take renown into the upper end of the bay. We might get at them from the peninsula, here, sir." "How the devil?" "Now, man, to guard on the upper tip of the peninsula, and you'd have the fire end of the bay under fire. No need for hotshot. We'd have all day to knock into pieces, even if they shifted their anchorage." "So we would bite you. Could you get to gun the long there?" "We could use one from the ship. Not too heavy. A nine-pounder barge, hey sir. Send it round to where we landed yesterday with takelem cables. Big trees to attach the cables, sway the gun up easily. After that, not more than half a mile uphill, but not too steep. There's nine-pounders, way less than a ton." "Yes." "And then?" "Have those ships under fire, sir. And those ships are the dawn's only way of escape. And Otago was only bluffing when he spoke of allying with the blacks. If the rebels a chance, and they'll cut a third of every white man and woman in this island." "And those ships would be our prizes, sir. It might be worth trying." "But I would like to say, sir, I think Mr. Hombler deserves every credit." "Of course, Mr. Bush. And we'll start tomorrow morning as soon as the hands have had breakfast. I'll leave the details to you to arrange, Mr. Hombler. I'd show if it did work." In part three of Lieutenant Hombler, you heard Nigel Antony in the title role and as the narrator, with Terence Skeleton as William Bush. Mr. Bucklin was played by David Peart, Wellard Mark Hudson, Mr. Midshipman Abbott, Keith Lad, Walton the Gunner Herbert Smith, Captain Whiting Randall Hurley and Colonel Otago by Graham Tennant. 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