Chapters 5 and 6 Summary

In the morning Bush is feverish and has taken a marked turn for the worse. The local doctor returns and examines the stump, removing one of the two arterial ligatures. He tells Caillard that Bush's recuperation is at a critical stage and strongly advises that he not be moved for at least a few days. Hornblower concurs with the doctor and angrily argues that Bush must not be moved. Caillard ignores the doctor and orders Bush readied for travel. The English men are loaded into the coach where the innkeeper serves them ersatz coffee and breakfast. During the day Hornblower continues to mull the fact that he is a prisoner. Hornblower mistakenly calculates that the entire voyage may take as little as 5-12 days of travel; he wants to live and considers the coach's great speed with alarm. The coach arrives...