Read The Hundred Days for Free Online Page A

the gunroom. Brother, I am afraid you are low in your
spirits.’
    ‘I do so hate a court-martial, above all one of
this kind. Will you attend?’
    ‘I will not. In any case I have an appointment
ashore.’ They gazed out of the great broad sweep of stern-lights at the tawny
Rock itself, soaring away as unlikely and as impressive as ever. ‘Jack,’ he
went on, with a significant expression familiar to them both, ‘it is not
impossible that I may bring an assistant surgeon back with me. If I am not
mistaken entirely, it would not be fit that the gentleman should mess with the
midshipmen and mates, so if he cannot be admitted to the gunroom, perhaps I
might be indulged in his company as a guest?’
    ‘Of course you may,’ said Jack. ‘But if he is a
gentleman of a certain age and standing, as I suppose, I am sure the gunroom
would stretch a point, particularly as you are almost never there: he could take
your place.’
    ‘As far as standing goes, he is as much of a
physician as myself - a doctor of medicine. We studied
in Paris together for a while: he
was some years junior to me, but already highly
considered as an anatomist. That would certainly be  the best arrangement; for although he
is a tolerable musician, and you might very well consider inviting him on
occasion that would certainly be the best arrangement.’
    Feeling Stephen’s embarrassment, Jack cried, ‘Oh, I
have not told you: tomorrow is going to be a day of hellish turmoil. I am
shifting my pennant into Surprise and there are going to be some important
changes: apart from anything else the squadron is promised two new drafts to
bring us up to something like establishment.’
    The hellish din began before eight bells in the
middle watch, when, in the complete darkness, the people who were to remove
into other ships began packing their chests and manhandling them along the
narrow, crowded passages and up the steep, steep ladders to strategic corners from
which they could be hurried on deck as soon as the boats came alongside. These
corners were often occupied, which led to disagreement, very noisy disagreement
sometimes, and then to renewed thumping as the defeated chest was humped away.
At eight bells, or four in the morning, that part of the’ starboard watch which
had managed to stay asleep was roused with the usual shattering din and
mustered on deck: then a little later the idlers were called and for the next
two hours they and the starboard watch cleaned the decks with water, sand,
holystones great and small, and swabs. Barely were the spotless decks quite dry
before hammocks were piped up, and in the midst of the frantic hurry boats from
Dover, Rainbow, Ganymede and Briseis approached: unhappily, the officer of the
watch, Mr Clegg, was some way below the deck, stilling a quarrel about chests
dangerously near the sacred cabin, and the master’s mate, misunderstanding his
cry, allowed the boats to come alongside. The seamen swarmed aboard with their
belongings, and it called for all the authority of a tall, furious, night
shirted Captain Aubrey to restore anything like order.
    ‘I am very sorry for the pandemonium, Stephen,’ he
said as at last they sat down to their breakfast, brought by a now silent, timid
Killick. ‘All this mad rushing up and down, bellowing like Gadarene swine...’
    The breakfast itself was adequate, with quantities
of fresh eggs, sausages, bacon, a noble pork pie, rolls and toast, cream for
their coffee; but there was little to be said for it as a fleshly indulgence,
since every other bite was interrupted by a message from one ship or another,
often delivered by midshipmen, washed, brushed and extremely nervous,
presenting their captain’s compliments and might he be favoured with a few, just
a few, really able seamen, with heavy carronades instead of nine-pounder guns,
or any of the countless variety of stores that the Commodore’s good word with
the dockyard officials might provide. Even more irritating was