16 The Wine-Dark Sea - Libro della tutto

Patrick O'Brian The Wine-Dark Sea
(rather uncommon in these blue waters) travelling
in the same direction. The chief basis of
this hope was a fervent desire that it should be
fulfilled, and it sank steadily with the coming
of the night, sweeping up deep purple from
the east, already flecked with stars. Now, in
the last dog-watch, as the last men came
slowly down, dispirited, it revived, rising high
above its former merely speculative pitch, for
the Franklin, far over to leeward, sent up a
blue flare, followed shortly after by a nightsignal,
a hoist of lanterns.
Reade was signal-midshipman, and with his
telescope poised on Wedell's shoulder he read
off the hoist to his Captain in a firm, official
voice. 'Telegraphic, sir: alphabetic. K. R. E. N.
G. Kreng, sir: I hope I have got it right,' he
added in a more human tone.
'Kreng, ha, ha ha!' cried a dozen voices on
the gangway; and the helmsman, in a low,