 Call all hands speak to quarters ever better one broadside input if you please Captain Bush point is on target Then stops ready CS foresters indomitable man of the sea a ratio hornblower 21 I felt as if every telescope in our Mediterranean fleet must be trained on me as I sailed our little Prize ship La Mouche into Gibraltar's Harbor. Oh, it's too bad sir. Can't quite understand. What's too bad mr. I don't think she's in herself yet, sir I've been using my glass all the way up the anchorage not a sign of the indefatigable. Hmm. Perhaps you put in a mortar after all Well, anyhow our crew won't mind a little rest. I know I won't sir. That's certain Found it with with captain Pellew not yet returned. I suppose it's my duty to report to the port admiral fairly quickly Rather catch up on my sleep Welcome back aboard. They've already come to the prisoners You look a little wary mr. Hornblower. I am when it's three hours wait after I'd reported in and then three minutes with the admiral The warm enough over there today to winter or not in this dress uniform I've got some news for you though new sir. Are we going to have sorely? Well tonight perhaps but not tomorrow We'll be too busy La Mouche is to be commissioned into the service without delay into the British service That's the idea good good. We never have enough with vessels for dispatches Then he gave orders for all the proper transfer papers and all that and I had to wait around for another hour But surely we're not going out at once not before our own captain comes back. I've got our orders here You are hereby requested and required to take his majesty's loop La Mouche under your command So soon as the latest dispatches destined for England shall be put in your charge You are commanded to proceed to Plymouth with the utmost expedition to Plymouth. Well, that sounds better. Do you eh? Yes, they dance. I haven't been home for more than a year I can understand that I last set foot on English soil three years ago. Thank your pardon mr. Hornblower I just remembered while you were gonna catch some sword delivered you this letter half hour ago It couldn't be the dispatches. Well, hurry up and let me see. It shouldn't be so forgetful when yet No confounded I'd rather it were the dispatches with orders to sail at once in this sort God listen to this The Excellencies Major General Sir Hugh and Lady Dalrymple Request the pleasure of acting lieutenant Horatio Hornblower's company at dinner today at five o'clock at government house My name is Alexander sir Lord Philip Alexander new Horatio Hornblower sir acting lieutenant aboard the endophatic Well, uh, no, I suppose I should say commanding the new slope La Mouche with my first independent command Their Excellency is the most happy that you could dine today mr. Hornblower. Well, thank you I know if I may present to sir will you come this way? In your Excellency this is mr. Hornblower the new captain of La Mouche We're pleased to see you mr. Hornblower. Thank you sir. Very kind of and I'm mr. Hornblower May I present to the Duchess of Warfdale your grace? This is mr. Hornblower of La Mouche the Duchess Warfdale mr. Hornblower Your grace So this is the fellow in question your Excellency on now really my dear You're going to entrust me to an infant in arms Young fella you look exactly like a gander on the green And then and there she did an imitation of me sticking her chin out and dangling her arms which would brought a brawl of laughter from the whole room I Just stood there in red-faced confusion now don't be out of the young fellow you people There is so awfully young and it's nothing to be ashamed of something to be proud of for that matter I think it's wonderful. Mr. Hornblower to be trusted with the ship at your young age. Oh, yes, yes, yes, indeed Oh grace May I give you my arm my dear Duchess? Oh child. I'm sure I confess. I'm suddenly mystified Lord Philip. What does she mean about? Intrusting hair to me As usual the man most concerned is very lost now. What is it? When you sail tomorrow with dispatches Honda, we're going to have the honor of bearing her grace with you to England But we are not serious But but who is she I mean she doesn't hurt my instructions didn't do she's the Duchess who walked down Well, yes, but I like don't like to sound as if I but she doesn't talk like a duchess Yeah, yeah, Duke was in his ditches when he married I was him She was a tavern keepers with us our friends there. Imagine if you like what I in and they said Is she doing in Gibraltar, you know She was at Florence when the French marched in she got to Leghorn and bribed the coaster to bring her here She asked the Hugh to find her passage home to England the Hugh girls the Admiral and that's where you come in your fellow London command was in condition to face the sea and and our enemies sailing the sea I Had exactly four pop gun four pointers his arms on my crew numbered only 11 So I knew our only safety lay in flight if we ran into trouble Towards noon the dispatches arrived then came the duchess and I made accompanied by Sir Hugh and Lady Dalrymple Welcome aboard your excellency. I I deeply regret that I can muster but two persons fights in your honor You see some my problem, Mr. Hornblower The governor of Gibraltar one tires the ceremonials, you know Well, well is a young man how sweet you are to bother with two extra passengers, Mr. Hornblower to your Yes, my maid Mary. Oh Well a great honor your grace. I sure I must have apologized to her grace in advance for her somewhat Cramped quarters your excellency. You see in so small a sloop ma'am her your cabin will be well my newt Oh Mary and I can live through it As soon as the governor had gone ashore, we brought La Mouche up to her anchor We rounded Cape Marocchi set a course for capes and Vincent that sounds very invisible on the horizon over there Queer night, ain't it sir? Yes Coming up Patrick Well, that's the price you have to pay for a fair wind in wintertime The cool land breeze strikes the Atlantic and a fog is the result be sicker still be morning. I wouldn't wonder. Yes, sir Yes, I think I shall revise my night orders We must be sure of keeping clear of capes and Vincent in the fog Yes, sir I'll set a course due west instead of west but north Is that you sir? I can't see for the fog. What's wrong with it? Don't speak too loud Sir, but simply don't hear anything except to see at our bars and our blocks clattering and Wait, wait, why are you at the sea breaking under someone else's bars? Is that it? There's a ship close alongside in the fog, sir. I'm almost positive What kind of ship? You've got any idea? I'll try to send below for you, sir. I heard an order given in In Spanish dons are out in force, huh? And my change of course brought a smack into the midst of them in the night Or if I don't help my first course It's too late for that now Listen now sir, what's going on now? It's positively uncanny We're within arm's length of each other and they don't know it They're setting more sail now that dawn is coming. Spain is always snugged down at night Don't set that to gallant till daybreak. Well, they make enough noise about it Let's hope they're on a different course from ours and we'll soon be beyond and through them, won't we sir? Well, we can hope so, yes, but Well, it's hardly likely It's a very good one It was right. It was uncanny. See Mr. Winnett If we were crossing their course, we'd have passed some ship very close. Well, we haven't The thing that worries me is how long will this fog hold? The light's growing Can't be altered, of course, sir. Wait. Look, look forward there. It's a clear patch of sea. We'll all mess into it Sir, sir, I can see the shape of the big spaddy Stand still, Jackson. Tell those men forward to stand still too. No panic, no running We draw attention to our souls. We're done. Careful, at least our men understand There's no more of that bustle on deck. You must behave as if we had every every much of right to be here as any of them That George is another bank of mist Preparing straight through and through it. Oh, thank the lord. Yes, hands where shipped accent Lay out on the port tack. Mr. Holder. Oh, oh, it's just a jewel, no Look, don't you think your grace had better go below? Oh, no, please I did go below before when you ordered me so sharply, but I had to know what was happening So I came up again and stood way after you to be out of your way. Well, I'm sorry, ma'am. I've got no time for the conversation now Lord, I forgot the dispatches. What, sir? The dispatches, the dispatches Here, you take over the quarter deck, Winnett. I've got to go run down to my cabin Find them, sir That is indeed Now hand me that relaying, then. And I want a bit of line. My knees go overboard. They've got to sink Please, please, Mr. Holdler. Do tell me what you're doing. I'm sinking our dispatches, your grace Two envelopes of them. Then they'll be lost for good. I've no idea what they contain, but I don't want the Spaniards to read them I could look after them for you. Indeed, I could, Mr. Holdler. No, no, no. They'd search your baggage, ma'am If I put them in my baggage, I'll put them next to his skin. That's what I'll do They won't search me in any case. Remember, after all, I am a duchess and the Spanish are nothing if not gentlemen Well, I... Don't stand there staring young man. Hope they weren't, but if they should, they'll never keep me prisoner They'll send me back to Lisbon or put me aboard a British ship as soon as ever they can, so I could deliver your dispatches better late than never Well, possibly. It's an idea I'll guard them like my life. I swear, I will. I'll tell no one I happen till I hand them to a King's officer in England Fog's thinning, sir. Quick, give them here. Hand me a yard of that rope He won't, ma'am Now turn your backs now, you two young men. I'll have them stowed in no time The sun's coming out, sir. Full this time, I'm afraid We're going to lose that fog for good. It's dissolving fast, that poor... Look, there's a Spanish flag How many ships are there? I see three or four already At least a dozen, ma'am. Seems we're surrounded Tell the helmsman, starboard two points. Starboard two points it is, sir What's that? It's a cannon shot, you guys. They've seen us finally for what we are Those aren't simply warning shots We could beat them off once at least, sir No, no. Play that order in the guns. Look over there Twenty guns drain almost a port and fifty more to starboard And we're the size of a pleasure yacht No, don't worry But sir, no point in dying uselessly, Matthews We have women aboard, remember? They could sink us in ten seconds Sir, the frigate's putting two boats into the water to port us Yes, your grace, a better look to your baggage You'll be leaving as soon for, well, other quarters with the dons I hope more comfortable You're first, sir. I wish I could tell you how sorry I am Because if I don't, they held my court You see, I- Don't ever blame yourself. Promise you won't, Mr. Hornblower Come over here a moment There's something I must say to you in private Yes, your grace Now, stop your gracing me. I'm no duchess What do you mean, uh? No time to tell it all now. Those Spanish boats are almost here I'm Kitty Cobham. Ever heard of me? Kitty Cobham? Well, I may have done, ma'am, somehow, somewhere, I think Never mind You're too young for the name for me much anyhow But five years ago, I was playing a truidadan theater And Dick Sheridan himself said he'd never had a better Lidia language An actress there, no? Oh, that's it, yes, Kitty Cobham No, sir, the dons boats are hooking on Uh, yes, yes, um, come with me, please, Mr. McGill Do you speak Spanish, sir? Perhaps three words Vengo a bordo para prenderles, señor El Teniente Señor El Teniente, español We have ladies aboard Ladies, all proper consideration must be asked for, uh, uh Senora La Ducuesa de Waffdale La Ducuesa? Si, si Ah, la Ducuesa, si, señor El Teniente She shall be very great respected Activity is at best a dreadful thing A few weeks at Cadiz Then I was transferred to the Spanish Naval Prison at Ferrole An empty sail raft When I lived with other captive officers Four months of this Then one day I was escorted to the office of the commandant Who had as aid a renegade Irishman named O'Brien You've been promoted I didn't mean promoted Well, promoted, here's the letter The Spanish authorities are informed that on account of his meritorious service The acting commissioner, Mr. Horacio Hornblower Midshipman, an acting lieutenant, has been confirmed And here's the letter for you, Lieutenant Must have come in the same dispatch Letter? Looks like it's been readjusted all over Spain There, life of your all You could read it on the corridor outside Oh, thank you, Mr. Brown A letter My first letter since my capture What's it? Darling boy Oh, and this would start a letter to me Calling me darling boy I hope it will make you happy It'll learn that what you gave me has reached its destination They told me at the Admiralty when I delivered it That they were very pleased with what you'd done And just imagine One of those admirals He's an old deer Is a shareholder at Drury Lane Whoever would have thought of such a thing And he smiled at me And I smiled at him I didn't know he was a shareholder then And I only smiled after the kindness of my heart That's a big heart kitty couple, isn't it? Music composed and conducted by Sydney Torch Produced by Harry Allen Towers