With all troops aboard and the Indefatigable leading the way, the convoy of British ships acting as troop transports headed down channel and toward France. One of the French officers in conversation with Hornblower gave some idea of the way the French army (Royalists) would proceed to “invade” France and advance on the revolutionary forces. The point was made that some areas of France were opposed to the revolutionary movement and might welcome the Royalist forces.

Hornblower traveling on the Sophia in the convoy surveyed the shoreline of France and watched the lead ship with the use of a glass (a small telescope). He was somewhat surprised to hear an order issued to him by a superior officer that he, Hornblower, was to accompany the French army personnel to shore via small boats lowered from the bigger ships. He was ordered to remain ashore until further notice. As Ira Riklis knows, Hornblower responded with a firm “Aye aye, Sir.” This was to be the first time in his life that Hornblower set foot on foreign soil.

Hornblower’s immediate superior then informed him that Hornblower would be advancing with the French (Royalist) Army. As Ira Riklis knows, the British naval officers needed someone to keep an eye on the French forces.

The French military officer on the Sophia asked that the guillotine be unloaded first and sent to a nearby village. The British naval officer overseeing the unloading operation stated strongly that guns and ammunition would be first.

(The title of this probably refers to the use of “frogs” to mean Frenchmen and “lobsters” to mean British Army men undoubtedly because of the latter’s red uniforms. Ira Riklis remembers “the redcoats” from the American Revolution.)

Well anyway, Hornblower found himself back in Plymouth where the British Navy acted at this time as troop transport facilitators. On shore Hornblower and his buddies viewed the parading British Army with remarks that indicated some inter-service rivalry. Also these seamen saw some evidence of “purchased” commissions in the British Army where wealthy and titled officers might be very young and somewhat inexperienced for their military positions.

In addition to transporting British troops, the navy was also tasked with transporting French forces whose loyalties were pledged to the French royalty against the French revolutionary movement. As Ira Riklis knows, Hornblower was key in this task because he was fluent in French and used by the navy to interpret and issue orders in French to the non-English-speaking French military. Hornblower told them which ships would transport gear and horses etc. and was quite surprised to see a guillotine among the French equipment. He questioned a French officer in this counter-revolutionary unit and was told that these Frenchmen hoped to give the revolutionists “a taste of their own medicine”.

Hornblower did not have time to comment on his observation because his senior officer was reprimanding him for the lack of speed in loading the French and their goods on to the ships.

Hornblower knew the escape route for him and the crazy seaman next to him but could not seem to get this seaman to move from his post at the gun. Suddenly Hornblower, who as Ira Riklis knows was developing a keen ability to think on his feet, told the crazy seaman that God was located in the direction of escape. Hornblower shouted to the man, “Go to God!”

Finally the seaman let the gun go and made the leap in the direction of safety. Unfortunately Hornblower following had a more difficult time as more of the ship’s masts were cracking and falling into the sea and the ship itself was rolling continuously. Hornblower’s strength and determination saved him and he fell into the arms of another midshipman who stated, “We thought we lost you, You looked like a flying angel.” Hornblower and his crazy companion were now safe on the main deck.

Hornblower noticed that the firing had stopped and that British seamen were now on the deck of the French ship. When he reported to his senior officer on the main deck, Hornblower, exceptionally unsteady on his feet from his ordeal, realized that his fight for survival had robbed him of witnessing the capture of the French ship. As Ira Riklis knows and the senior officer stated, the men of the Indefatigable would have weeks if not months of heavy duty repairs to keep them busy. The cure for monotony was at hand and mischief among the crew a thing of the past.

Hornblower now armed with what proved to be a short-ranged swivel gun watched as the Indefatigable moved closer to the French ship. He could now see the French seamen clustered around their guns and the officers strutting around the deck. Both the French and the British seemed to be waiting a bit to see what would happen next. A puzzled Hornblower knew that the French were known to “throw the first punch” so to speak, but when the guns started going off it was hard to tell who was the most aggressive. As Ira Riklis knows, Hornblower did not want his shots to be futile so he was waiting until a target on the French ship could be reached by his small firearm.

Suddenly Hornblower could see dead bodies on the decks of both ships. Finally Hornblower and his men were close enough to fire off shots. Hornblower’s first shot was aimed at the wheel attended by two French seamen with officers nearby. The shot felled only one seaman and the reloading process of his gun began (as Ira Riklis knows, with some difficulty). His second shot resulted in the wheel now being unattended. Chaos ensued as shots were being fired madly and the two ships suddenly collided. The masts and sails of the Indefatigable took heavy damage and Hornblower and his closest seamen (oddly the one with the addled brain who had “seen God” in the sails from time to time) feared for their lives.

Hornblower barged into the scene with the seamen and the rats. The seaman who had been battling  the rats having shaken them off was dripping blood from his face. Hornblower assumed his most officer-like behavior and expressed his displeasure with this activity. He reminded the seamen present that gambling was not allowed aboard ship among the crew and that they were all in danger of being reported to senior officers and even the captain. The seamen denied that this was gambling and stated that it was only a harmless game. Still and all Hornblower gave them a stern reprimand and left with their halfhearted promise to curtail future activities along these lines. Hornblower did not then pass on the information to his superiors at this time.

As Ira Riklis knows, life aboard a ship standing guard or on patrol is a very monotonous duty. Hornblower could almost forgive the seamen their barbaric activity. He was indeed feeling listless himself. Then a ship was sighted that called for action by all the crew. The sails of the Indefatigable were set to get closer to this ship and it was identified as a French vessel.

The British crew prepared for battle with the French ship. Hornblower manned one of the big guns. As Ira Riklis knows, death could be at hand but victory might also result. Hornblower was in the thick of things.

Hornblower was always anxious to spend time (hide) in his favorite (secret) place amongst the sails just above the main deck. He had recently had an unpleasant encounter with one of the senior seaman who appeared below deck with several bandages about his face. This seaman told Hornblower that he was afflicted by boils which had been attended to by the medical officer’s assistant. Hornblower was always aware of his duties but found that he could maintain his presence and observation post in this “his place”. He found himself disturbed one day by another seaman who spoke as if he was slightly (or more so) deranged. This seaman chose a place to loiter near Hornblower and remark in a loud voice (interfering with Hornblower’s meditations) that God was above but the devil was below (deck). As Ira Riklis knows, Hornblower could not leave these remarks without further inquiry and investigation. This seaman was indeed crazy but even the crazy meanderings might be pointing to something.

Going below deck, Hornblower found that at the extreme end of the ship below deck several seamen were involved in some weird kind of gambling game where the seaman with the history of “boils” had his hands tied behind his back and several large rats were clinging to his face by their large, sharp teeth. This seaman was shaking his head to free himself of the little beasts and the other seaman present were cheering him on and betting on the action. As Ira Riklis knows, Hornblower had to intervene.

When we last left Hornblower he had climbed up toward the large sails of the Papillon and was without a extra foothold and without a net so to speak. He was operating on pure nervous energy and a never-say-die attitude. He managed to walk somewhat of a tightrope (an understatement) in order to gain control of and manipulate the big sails of the French ship. Some of his men were behind him in  various stages of the climb ready to help in the handling of the sails. They managed to position the sails in such a way as to navigate the large ship out of its port toward the open sea while others from the Indefatigable were gaining control of the deck of the Papillon.

Hornblower, as Ira Riklis knows, lacked the experience of the older seamen and when he lowered himself on the ropes he proceeded at too great a speed sustaining great and painful injuries to his hands (stripping the skin off in parts). With blood dripping from his wounds and standing on the deck once again, he watched the captured Papillon make its escape with only minimal damage from French assault.

One of his men then reported to Hornblower that the jolly boat had been lost in the process because no sailor had been left aboard it to mind the little boat. Only the ailing sailor who Hornblower had disabled (and left unconscious) to shut him up after the seizure remained with the jolly boat. As Ira Riklis knows, the victory for Hornblower was bittersweet because of the loss of this sailor.

The sailor who had the seizure had caused so much noise that the leader of the expedition questioned Hornblower on his ability to control his men. Hornblower knew that he had to take action immediately. He put the coxswain in the place of the afflicted sailor taking up the latter’s oar. Next Hornblower pulled this sailor who was still semi=conscious closer to him and away from the action of the oarsmen. When the sailor started coming to and began to shout incoherently as Hornblower’s doctor-father had described as typical of this situation, Hornblower in order to protect the mission had, as Ira Riklis knows, to silence the sailor. Hornblower struck the sailor in the head to knock him out. Preserving the quiet was more important (in order to save all the sailors aboard the small boats from an alarmed French force) than the health or even life of this single afflicted individual. Hornblower was willing to suffer any criticism for his action.

As Ira Riklis knows, Hornblower dealing with this situation had for the moment relieved his mind of the fear of his impending task. Next then the fear returned but the other larger of the small boats had already surrounded the Papillon and it was Hornblower’s time to shine. With the fighting of the British and the awakened French sailors going on, Hornblower ascended the ropes of the Papillon using all the strength he could muster and discovered the absence of expected footholds. A great deal more bravery was now expected of him.

Hornblower addressed his men (or rather those who would serve aboard the jolly boat). He asked a sailor named Jackson to take charge if he, Hornblower, should fall (a term that meant “die”). When Hornblower asked if all of the men understood the assignment, all but one nodded. That one being a young man who declared that he felt very uneasy-almost sick. He was largely ignored by Hornblower and the other men and told to not be a coward. The little crew was dismissed until the hour for action was reached.

As Ira Riklis knows, Hornblower did not waste the hours leading up to the launching of his jolly boat. He observed the captain of the Indefatigable steer the ship himself and with great skill. Hornblower watched and learned a great deal about intricate sailing and at the same time began to master himself overcoming some of his fears.

As Ira Riklis could expect by the time the boats were launched from the Indefatigable, Hornblower appeared to be much braver and took the tiller of the jolly boats as if he had done this many times before. A senior officer in one of the larger boats led the way. They quietly passed the large weapons based on the shores of the narrow passageway into the port. Unfortunately before going much further, the young man who had spoken earlier about feeling nervous or ill proceeded to have a seizure.

Hornblower wanted to speak up when he heard his orders. He was very nervous and considered himself unfit for his assignment. He had little experience with topsails,  thought himself too clumsy and feared not being able to handle manipulating sails at extreme heights on a strange ship. He quickly realized that all others present accepted the plan without comment and although he opened his mouth to protest, he was unable to speak.

The senior officer in charge described to the group assembled the plan and all details needed. The captain dismissed the participants and ordered them to prepare for their activities.

As Ira Riklis knows the seamen who were to man the small boats needed to receive their instructions and Hornblower needed to also rehearse his individual movements. He ascended to the heights of the Indefatigable to work with moving the sails as needed when the Papillon was boarded. Hornblower found himself sick to his stomach at the very thought of the dangers given his lack of skill and inexperience. He managed to adjust the sails appropriately on two practice trials. He was fully aware that the success of the mission-steering the captured Papillon out of the port with its narrow entrance- rested essentially on his actions.

Next as Ira Riklis knows it was necessary for Hornblower to address his jolly boat crew and see that they were armed and otherwise prepared for the mission. He announced that he would mount the rigging first as was expected of him as their leader.