16 The Wine-Dark Sea - Libro della tutto

Patrick O'Brian The Wine-Dark Sea
yond them, suddenly present and clear to
every man aboard.
Jack was on his way to the foretop before the
repetition. He levelled his glass for the first details,
though the first glance had shown the essence
of the matter. The nearer ship was the
four-masted Alastor, wearing the black flag;
she was grappled tight to the Franklin; they
were fighting hand to hand on deck and between
decks and now of course there was no
gunfire. Small arms, but no cannon.
'All hands, all hands,' he called. 'Topgallants.'
He gauged their effect; certainly she could
bear them and more. From the quarterdeck
now he called for studdingsails alow and aloft,
and then for royals.
'Heave the log, Mr Reade,' he said. He had
brought the Alastor right ahead, broadside on,
and in his glass he could see her trying to cast