16 The Wine-Dark Sea - Libro della tutto

Patrick O'Brian The Wine-Dark Sea
pursued by Pullings' men, who cut them down
from behind while the Surprises shattered them
from in front and either side, for they had all
heard the cry 'The Captain's down – they've
got the Captain' and the fighting reached an
extraordinary degree of ferocity.
Presently it was no more than broken men,
escaping below, screaming as they were
hunted down and killed: and an awful silence
fell, only the ships creaking together on the
dying sea, and the flapping of empty sails.
A dozen black slaves were found shut in the
Alastor's orlop, as well as a few wretched little
rouged and scented boys; and they were put
to throwing the dead over the side. Long before
they reached his part of the deck Jack
Aubrey heaved himself from beneath three
bodies and one desperately wounded man. 'It
was as bloody a little set-to as ever I have
seen,' he said to Pullings, sitting by him on the