16 The Wine-Dark Sea - Libro della tutto

Patrick O'Brian The Wine-Dark Sea
sleep; but his pulse made Stephen most uneasy.
Presently, shaking his head, he left the
cabin: at the foot of the ladder he saw young
Wedell coming down, soaked to the skin.
'Pray, Mr Wedell,' he said, 'is the Captain on
deck?'
'Yes, sir. He is on the forecastle, looking out
ahead.' Stephen grasped the hand-rail, but
Wedell cried, 'May I take him a message, sir? I
am wet as a whale already.'
'That would be very kind. Pray tell him, with
my compliments, that Mr Martin is far from
well; that I should like to move him to the larboard
midshipmen's berth; and that I should
be obliged for two strong sensible hands.'
The hands in question, Bonden and a powerful
forecastle-man who might have been his
elder brother, took a quick, seamanlike
glance at the situation and with no more than