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1、TheSurgeon'sMateCHAPTERONEThelongharbourofHalifaxinNovaScotiaonalong,longsummer'sday,andtwofrigatesglidinginonthetideoffloodundertheirtopsailsalone:thefirst,sinceshehadbelongedtotheUnitedStatesnavyuntilafewdaysbefore,woretheStarsandStripesunderawhiteensign;thesecondshowednomor
2、ethanherownshabbycolours,forshewasHMSShannon,thewinnerinthatshortandbloodyactionwiththeChesapeake,TheShannon'screwalreadyhadsomenotionofthewelcometheyshouldreceive,becausenewsofthevictoryhadspreadanddories,yachts,privateers'boatsandsmallcraftofallkindshadmetthembeyondthedistan
3、tharbour'smouth,sailingalongwiththem,wavingtheirhatsandbawlingout'Bravo-huzzay-welldone,Shannon-huzzay,huzzay!'TheShannonstooknogreatnoticeofthecivilians,apartfromadistantacknowledgement,adiscreetwavefromthewatchbelow;butthesmallcrafttookgreatnoticeofthem,andalthoughthecasualo
4、bserversawlittletoexclaimatintheShannonherself,withmostofherriggingnewsetup,afreshsuitofsailsbenttoheryards,andherpaintworkatleastastrimasitwaswhenshesetoutfromthissameportsomeweeksago,themoreknowingeyeoftheprivateersmensawthedeepwoundsinherbowspritandhermasts,themizenfishedwi
5、thcapstan-bars,theshotstilllodgedinhersideandtheplugswheretheyhadgonethrough:yeteventhemostunobservantcouldnotmissthegapingvoidintheChesapeake'ssternandlarboardquarter,wheretheShannon'sfullstarboardbroadsidehadrakedheragainandagain,sendingsomefivehundredweightofironhurtlingcle
6、anthroughherlengthateveryblast.Theydidnotofcourseseethebloodofthatsavageconflict,thebloodthathadpouredthickfromthescuppers,fortheShannonshadcleanedbothshipsandtheyhadpriddiedthedecksasfarastheycould;butevenso,fromthestateofthemastsandtheyardsandoftheChesapeake'?,hull,anymanwho
7、hadseenactioncouldimaginetheslaughter-houselookoftheshipswhenthebattleended.TheShannons,then,knewhowtheywouldbereceived,andthewatchbelowhadalreadycontrivedtoslipintotheirbestshore-goingrigofglazedbroad-brimmedhatswithShannonembroideredontheribbon,brightbluejacketswithbrassbutt
8、ons,loosewhitetrouserswithribbonsintheseams,andverysmallshini
