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.