16 The Wine-Dark Sea - Libro della tutto

Patrick O'Brian The Wine-Dark Sea
to be keeping no look-out at all. In any case
he was morally certain that she had not seen
the Surprise: the frigate, lying with reefed
courses against a blurred grey background,
would have been very hard to see in any case,
and to those who had no notion of any enemy
within five thousand miles she was virtually invisible.
The China ships' intention was perfectly obvious.
And if the Surprise ran a little way to the
east and then steered north she would have
the weather-gage, which would enable her to
bring them to action when she pleased. Yet he
would not hurry things: there was the possibility
of the third ship. And as they had been as
regular as the Bath to London stage-coach as
far as time was concerned there seemed a
strong likelihood that they would be equally
exact in number; and it would be a sad shame
not to bag the whole shooting-match. The