16 The Wine-Dark Sea - Libro della tutto

Patrick O'Brian The Wine-Dark Sea
the starboard bow, grew rapidly distinct, and
lit the remaining mist between them with a
thundering broadside, eighteen crimson
flashes. The guns had been fired on the
downward roll and most of the shot fell short,
but some hit the Surprise by ricochet, breaking
through the hammocks in the netting and rolling
across the deck: eighteen pound roundshot.
The smoke swept to leeward, much of
the mist with it, and clear and plain Jack saw
a heavy American frigate, a thirty-eight-gun
ship with a three hundred and forty-two
pounds broadside, apart from her chasers and
carronades.
The Surprise was hopelessly outgunned and
with her small privateer's crew hopelessly outmanned;
while there was also the brig-of-war
ready to infest her disengaged side or rake her
from astern. 'Fire as they bear,' cried Jack. He
bore the helm up: the ship's head fell off from