16 The Wine-Dark Sea - Libro della tutto

Patrick O'Brian The Wine-Dark Sea
topmen were racing aloft: the royals and topgallant
studdingsails vanished, the ship's way
sensibly decreased, and Jack said, 'All hands
aft, if you please.'
'Mr Bulkeley, pipe all hands aft,' said Vidal to
the bosun, who replied, 'All hands aft it is, sir,'
and instantly wound his call – sharp blasts followed
by a long quavering shriek.
This was the first official information to reach
the foremast hands, but if anyone aboard was
so simple as to expect them to be surprised at
the news he was wholly mistaken: they had all
contrived to be clean, shaved, sober and
properly dressed; they all had their hats; and
now they all swarmed aft along the larboard
gangway, overflowing on to the quarterdeck in
the usual shapeless heap. There they stood
grinning and sometimes nudging one another,
and Jack called out, 'Now, shipmates, we are
going to proceed to a provisional sharing-out.