16 The Wine-Dark Sea - Libro della tutto

Patrick O'Brian The Wine-Dark Sea
Although the ship was wonderfully busy the
news spread forward with its usual speed, and
Stephen, making his way to the forecastle to
watch albatrosses and the nondescript petrel
that had been following the ship for some
days, was greeted with particular kindness,
brought a coil of soft manilla to sit upon,
given a pair of belaying-pins to hold his telescope
steady, and told about the birds that
had been seen that day, including a numerous
band of stinkpots flying south, an infallible
sign of clear weather. This was all very much
in line with what he had so often known at
sea, and once more the evident good-will
warmed his spirit.
He thought of it with pleasure as he went to
sleep; and its absence the next day, together
with a want of that cheerfulness so usual on
deck, struck him with all the more force when