16 The Wine-Dark Sea - Libro della tutto

Patrick O'Brian The Wine-Dark Sea
'Sir, sir,' called a voice in his right ear, a
tremulous voice, the tall, shy, burly Norton
sent to wake his commander.
'What is it, Mr Norton?'
'Mr Wilkins thinks he may hear gunfire, sir.'
'Thank you. Tell him I shall be on deck directly.'
Jack leapt up. He was draining the cold coffee-pot
when Norton put his head back
through the door and said, 'Which he sent his
compliments and duty, too, sir.'
By the time the Surprise had pitched once,
with a slight corkscrew roll, Jack was at the
head of the ladder in the dim half-light. 'Good
morning, Mr Wilkins,' he said. 'Where away?'
'On the starboard bow, sir. It might be thunder,
but I thought...'
It might well have been thunder, from the
lightning-shot blackness over there. 'Mast-