16 The Wine-Dark Sea - Libro della tutto

Patrick O'Brian The Wine-Dark Sea
Surprise, however kindly Vidal had meant his
action in the first place. Bad luck was a term
that embraced a greal deal: other people
might have spoken of a curse, a spell, or a divine
resentment of impiety. But whatever it was
called they had missed the China ships, and
they had been near as a toucher sunk by the
Americans, by the ice-islands and by the icefloes.
And now the barky had been struck by
lightning. But it was a Knipperdolling that had
copped it, and once he went over the side the
bad luck would be off the ship.
He went the second day after the stroke. His
shipmates attended with real concern – they
had nothing against Isaac Rame himself, nothing
whatsoever – but when the high southwestern
swell closed over him without a splash
on Tuesday morning they went back to their
work with a particular satisfaction, one that informed
their entire attitude.