16 The Wine-Dark Sea - Libro della tutto

Patrick O'Brian The Wine-Dark Sea
and even swam with Jack in the mornings: it
pleased most of the people, who could devote
themselves to a detailed reckoning of the
Franklin's worth and the value of the goods
she had taken out of her various prizes and
dividing the total according to each man's
share; and it would have pleased the midshipmen
if the Captain had not come down
on them like a thousand of bricks. Football
was abolished, cricket prohibited, and they
were kept strictly to their duty, taking altitudes
right and left, showing up their day's working
(which rarely amounted to fifty miles of course
made good) and writing their journals neat
and fair. No blots were allowed, and a mistaken
logarithm meant no supper: they walked
about barefoot or in list slippers, rarely speaking
above a whisper.
During this time Stephen often went forward
to Mr Bentley's cabin to dress and poultice his