 Call all hands beat the quarters and broadside into her if you please Captain Bush points as on target Linz talks ready Red Grave as C.S. Forester's indomitable man of the sea Horatio Hornblower Yet on the morning when the captains of the squadron sat in the admiral's cabin discussing the forthcoming operation I was full of foreboding Admiral Layton had censured me for leaving the squadron despite my success. I Could not but feel that he still suspected me if having been the lover of Lady Barbara before her marriage to him Now I again found myself opposing him Then where agree gentlemen The captain of the town of Rosas if it can be affected We'll throw the French plans for the subjection of Catalonia into confusion our three ships can supply a landing party of 600 men and Captain Hornblower His experience of the Spanish joining his investment there and his command of the tongue Make him the obvious choice I trust you'll forgive me for saying so that it might be unwise to trust so entirely to the cooperation of the Spanish army But they have seven thousand minute or it made it from March It's only 30 miles from Olatio Rosas. Yes, but over mountain paths Can we be sure that they have that number or that they will come I'm sorry to be so insistent sir, but I have painful experience of Spanish promises So it would be relied on that's not since captain on black. I have general roberos definite promise to March But what alternative do you suggest then well I would suggest that we can find ourselves to actions within our own strength without having to rely on Spanish help my Instructions are to cooperate as closely as possible Well Rosas has a garrison of no more than 2,000 men and Revere has 7,000 only 30 miles away The French army cannot reach roses in less than another week We can supply heavy guns men to work them and more men to lead a storming column when we've affected the breach It can be done easily before the French army arrives So I failed to understand your objections Captain Hornblower I did but state the mature request sir. I asked for helpful suggestions not a bit I look for more loyalty from you captain. I can assure you of my loyalties. Very well We can start well. I Trust where on the eve of the most resounding success the Mediterranean coast of Spain has ever seen Careful with that gun then if it slips off the pontoon, it'll be nothing but two and a half tons of useless metal I want all 10 guns with some of that paper for dawn What all senior you are the English captain that's in Horatio Hornblower at your service I am Colonel one cut off. I bid you welcome in the name of General Rovira. Thank you, sir I bring a thousand men 50 horses and a hundred mules We'll take 50 horses to drag one of those 24 partners over this country. They're going to be kept busy So I have combed the country for animals in your these are all I can master very well Then we must harness men to you captain. I can tell you would it be so kind of to send a message to the general of their I telling them that I hope to reach for us as with at least some of the guns that lose certainly captain I was asked for the help of your men to transport my guns and stores 400 will help with the guns and another 400 will carry 124 pound cannonball each but captain. This is not possible and after that they will return here for more I was promised a sufficiency of pack animals if you do not supply me with four legged ones I must use those with two now pardon me while I get the column started A lot 10 horses and mules to each gun and a hundred men on the drag ropes Send a hundred men ahead to clear the path. They must roll rocks out of the way and fill in holes See with every Spanish soldier who's at work. All right, sir The stores dragged weirdly on under the blazing sun Colonel Karras and I rode ahead with his three staff captains behind us Young midshipman Longley and poxson brown acting in a light capacity for me When at last we reigned our horses at the top of the last of the rocky undulations and gazed down at the town of Rosas in the plane I knew that it would be many more hours before my guns were ready for the siege in five hours the first gun had traveled little more than three miles Pondering this it was a few moments before I was struck by the general peacefulness of the scene below General Karras the plane is almost deserted where is general Rivera's army of 7 000 they were to have been besieging the town you told me they were marching last night they do not seem to have arrived yet but this is serious my men and stores are strung out over three miles of country sir with an easy reach of any column the town of Rosas might care to send out one of the messenger who sent a dawn to general Rivera says he returned the messenger oh yes I remember he did not go he didn't go what I would it would have been to put somebody to unnecessary if the general comes he comes if not no messenger can bring in I might have expected this even a squadron of cavalry there while watching the city haven't bothered to report the non arrival of the army we're in considerable danger oh no my men are used to mountains if the town garrison attacks us we can get away get away we're here to attack man not to fly what of my guns and my dear captain in war there is always danger come here right back at once hold the guns hold the convoy hold every man on the fast nothing is to move a yard further without orders from me not a gun or man moves until I see rovier's army on that plane now will you send the messenger to him very well if you wish see to it I've done it now sir it is the hour for dinner will you have my men's foods help to them captain your man might have feed the thousands of your men from my ship stores I thought you'd make your own arrangements as you wish captain but if they are not fed they will disperse in search of food and who shall say when they will return oh god the fact is something else to be done I fed them and when they'd eaten they lay in the scrub and slept the siesta was safe as they even in war but I could not eat I scribbled a report to admiral Layton and walked about sweating until his reply came and the reply was as futile and unpatical as I might have expected excuse me sir look what is it right the police down there on the move they're coming out of the fortress sir three columns of them now the good back cavalry pick it is sir they're galloping back to the Spanish army as fast as they can those columns seem endless there must be at least a thousand men in each and more coming but the Spanish estimated the garrison strength at less than two thousand I see that plan two columns to attack us directly want to cut off the retreat to the main land there's not a moment to lose blood captain a captain they are attacking captain we must get away you'll surely not abandon the convoy girl I cannot afford to lose my army if I march them now there is just time to get away unfortunately you're a military necessity that's a sort of allies to have sir isn't it hey well over the columns chasing and cutting the pieces quick brown back to the Marines we'll have three thousand friends on this inside now your Marines will have to hold them back while we get the stores back to the ship all right well you all will be at job you would have been careful about bouncing in the store sir no it might be worth losing them to save the lives of trained seamen but the shock to morale of leaving the guns after so much trouble to get them here would be enormous no we must fight a rear guard action major I will do that right to the beach tell the admiral we must re-embark man and stores and ask for both to take us off as far as the head of the cliff overlooking the beach the beach party was hard at work reloading the battles of bread and beef and at the head of the cliff a party of seamen were unloading the first mules rail bring those mules back to the guns as soon as they're unloaded my eyes up come along there brand don't stay with me I may need messengers this sounds as a major layer it is already in action let us go back and see what's happening the foreign troops have to keep you on paths in this sort of country and it's skirmish of soon lose the direction this thorny vegetation is helping us fine do you see your faster smoke yes that's my man heading in the scrub yes but the friends are coming out I can see them then they keep your head down so you'll know see anything long do you see that french column to the right when it reaches your importantly you will have to retreat and take up a fresh position fire and it'll be without the head yet but with two results here the possibility is double kick in other words you'd like me to look after my business and leave you to look after yours very well I've got your head no that one's ruined my cocked hat all right major I'll go and hurry to come boy don't let them have them as a present I can almost wish they'd been cut off they hate foreigners they hate each other they will not settle their differences and keep their promises to their allies they will never again rule their own country have a gun can't waste time in total day after the run under the blazing sun the backbreaking work dragged on and the marines fought their heroic rearguard action yielding their ground only inch by inch and keeping the harrass Frenchman away from the retreating guns and stores problem after problem presented itself and was solved I wrote continuous slip between the rearguard and the beach advising and encouraging the men stifling my ducks as to whether the efforts and loss of life were justified by the saving of the guns and at last most of the guns were on the beach the rest were at the head of the gully all the stores were safe aboard cabin dish who was in command on the beach came up to me what about the horses and mills sir there's 150 of them shipping them will be quite a job there'll be a nuisance on board too sir there'll be more of a nuisance to allow them to fall into the hands of the French I'd rather have their throats cut on the beach oh I I hope that won't be necessary sir maybe we could feed them on crushed biscuit aboard they look as if they'd be a luxury to the food they have been getting if you leave it to me sir I'll ship them very well captain just send them on board with the stores all right sir and Mr. Longley sir this is going to be the decisive moment from this point we can overlook both the beach and the gully where the Marines must make their final stand and we shall make sure they come out being us and the Marines we'll have to get down on the cliff sir you've gone on me home gone there Mr. Longley we're not much better off here don't slip on this land begging your pardon sir I shouldn't look down there by the way I'd rather be on the Royal Yards in a jail and stuck like a flight or a wall in this fashion I think we can get down sir if we can get to that bush down there we might be able to reach that little gully and that joins the main gully so I go first sir I'm a bit lighter perhaps better well than slumber yeah yes we better lose no time they're leaning over the cliff and firing at us do it like this sir a leap along the face of the cliff and then down to the bush I'm coming this is nothing I can't see take my combat sir we'll be blinded with all that blood in your eyes all right I've got my hand could you mind don't fuss boy come on let's get on over here I think sir catch hold of that lump with your hands you could talk with him that crack no no not that crack the other what oh what it's our tails along the cliff face like this yeah but well it was something like this a statement fought with their hands hold on sir if I haven't seen I am holding on for my own sake boy can you stick there for a minute or two while I look around this corner sir no we must carry on long to carry on Russian you could rest a bit sir the fog is conscious here thank you love me enjoy this sort of thing love me I'm starting out of my life sir I wish I could take it as calmly as you do if you care to stay there sir I could go on and bring back some men with ropes no no no I still work to you oh I'll come on ready sir yes I'm ready go on I doubt if I've any skin left under my bridges nothing's broken a nice piece of work on your promise to long live you'll you'll make a very fine officer thank you sir it was only your coolness made it possible sir oh here comes Cavendish and how browns with him thank goodness you're safe sir we thought you've been taken horses and mules are loaded down very well the seamen can go next and and the are the boats ready and armed they're all ready sir good here come the Marines the French are running down the beach now sir I trust your losses were not excessive no too bad considering the French is lost 10 for every one of mine by a very handsome operation handsome indeed a day spent unloading and loading taking like guns up and down cliffs fighting leaping down precipices like goats and for what hardly your fault sir doors were saved and all the guns were the exception of one which was carried carried away its tackles and went over the cliff to make arrangements to have itself it's tomorrow you appear to have carried out a very successful retreat Captain Hombra nevertheless it was a retreat I had hoped for resounding victory in the capture of the town of Rosa's so have I sir yeah I should be glad to receive your official report in writing no actual blame attaches to you of course over I must stress Captain Hombra in dealing with our Spanish allies it is essential to use that tact and persuasion which ensures their political operation you take something Captain Hombra no morning sir merely a slight difficulty with my breath sir is based on the novels by C.S. Forrester music composed and conducted by Sydney Torch produced by Harry Allen Towers