16 The Wine-Dark Sea - Libro della tutto

Patrick O'Brian The Wine-Dark Sea
They paused indeed in the middle watch of
the Friday after the ship's return, the day after
the full moon, and presently they were succeeded
by an air from the north; this strengthened
with the rising of the sun and immediately
after breakfast the man in the crow's nest
hailed the deck in an enormous voice of passionate
intensity: 'Sail ho! Two sail of ships on
the larboard bow.'
The hail reached the cabin, where Jack was
drinking coffee in a battered half-pint mug
and eating eggs. He had already started up,
thrusting both from him when Reade darted in,
crying, 'Two sail of ships, sir, fine on the larboard
bow.'
Jack ran aloft, straight up without a pause,
the hoar-frost scattering from the ratlines under
his feet. The lookout moved down on to
the yard to leave him room, calling up, 'They
have just cleared the middle island, sir. Top-