“Here, you bearer men,” he said, “let’s see what you can do.”
Hornblower had been followed by a file of men, every pair carrying a piece of apparatus formed of two iron bars joined with iron crosspieces. The first pair approached. Saddler took a pair of tongs and gingerly worked a hot shot on to the bearer.
“Move on, you two,” ordered Hornblower. “Next!”
When a shot lay on every bearer Hornblower led his men away.
“Now let’s see you roll those into the guns,” he said.
Bush followed, consumed with curiosity. The procession moved up the ramp to the gun platform, where now crews had been told off to every gun; the guns were run back with the muzzles well clear of the embrasures. Tubs of water stood by each pair of guns.
“Now, you rammers,” said Hornblower, “are your dry wads in? Then in with your wet wads.”
From the tubs the seamen brought out round flat discs of fibre, dripping with water.
“Two to a gun,” said Hornblower.
The wet wads were thrust into the muzzles of the guns and then were forced down the bores with the clubended ramrods.