The Uneven Chance

"By God, poor devils." Captain Pellew stared on with a mixture of regret and bewildered awe at the scene of bittersweet British victory which had just unfolded before him. The French fleet were beaten, the entire stern of one of their great vessels completely blown away by cannon fire. The rest of the French Navy were now surrendering, dead and survivors alike sharing the same murky depths of the ocean's bitter waters.

Although there was a fresh, salty sharpness to the air, it was still masked in part by the mild scent of gunpowder and the thick acrid smoke which had billowed out from the stern of the great ship. Pellew looked around for any indication of where the victorious shot had been fired from, not made by the hard pressed crew of the 'Indefatagable' that was for certain, and he had seen no sign of the presence of an ally ship when the French fleet had first started firing upon them.

It didn't take him long however to spot the 'Pappion'through the lens of his viewing glass; her French colours remaining in flight throughout the course of the recent battle her crew had spared her the same inconvenience as the far less fortunate 'Indefatagable' – although it now became all too clear from where the fateful shot had been fired, as her French colours were lowered, to be replaced by the British red, white and blue. Her take over had been successful after all then, but now he got to wondering about his men. How many of his crew had survived, and how many must have lost their lives during the initial boarding of the 'Pappion'? Who was it who, even now, had control over the magnificent hulk of the ship, and who had, in no small feat, just saved all of their lives?

There was however one member of his most recent intake of crew whom he permitted himself to dwell upon a little longer than the others; the young Hornblower. An exceptional youth, although lacking in military experience when he had first set foot upon his ship, and some would say bearing the load of a most unfortunate start to both his career and reputation, Pellew had seen great things in the young Midshipman – great things which were undoubtedly still yet to come.

That was if the boy was not already amongst the inevitable fallen at the bottom of the sea.

Then the Captain realised, he had not seen a boy, but a man… a truly great man, who's young soul burnt bright with both the strength and the ambition of an officer thrice his years, and whom considerable things could be expected of. Not only this, but he had indeed seen a good man.

Unfortunately however there had been nothing of the same sincerity in the likes of Mr. Simpson's eyes. Men could be very much like ships Pellew thought. It took the finest, only the most sturdy and solid of vessels to make the grade, but this could not protect them once they were finally set against the perils of the sea.

As had the young Hornblower's, Mr. Simpson's reputation had preceded him too to a degree. Just like the ship which within a week at war may be holed and sunk, dragging her valiant crew down with her, he had risen only so far in the ranks, but with his commission refused he was unlikely to rise any further. The man himself in all honesty was probably aware of this, but although new to a life at sea, Pellew had recognised that quite the opposite fate lay in wait for the young Midshipman. Ever since he had heard of Mr Hornblower's admirable handling of the French frigate and her crew, just days after being assigned to the 'Indefatagable', he'd known that a long and prestigious career was surely on the cards for the likes of a man such as Hornblower…

No… he was alive… the Captain didn't know how he knew this, only that he had to be…

He looked on, at the scene of devastation before him, and at the splintered wreck of fractured wood and fragmented glass floating on the surface of the ocean which had until today played such a profound part in the French war effort.

Yes, he thought, Mr. Hornblower would make it through, he felt well assured of that, and he was confident that the young man could take care of himself. There were more pressing issues for him to deal with now; the tending of the wounded amongst them. Captain Pellew knew his duty was to above all else keep a clear mind and composed disposition in front of his men, and whilst in command of his ship…

For the sake of them all, and for the sake of England.