16 The Wine-Dark Sea - Libro della tutto

Patrick O'Brian The Wine-Dark Sea
not blunted his humanity; he was weeping
now over a wretched man from the Alastor
who having fallen out of his cot was lying
there on his shattered arm, wedged under a
helpless neighbour and resisting all attempts
at help by clinging with maniac force to a
ring-bolt. He was indeed out of his mind, not
only because of the terrifying end of the battle
and the horrible future, but also because his
fever had now almost drowned what little reason
he had left. However, what Padeen's kindness
and great though cautious strength and
the little girls' expostulation could not do, Dr
Maturin's cool authority accomplished, and
with the wretched man restored to his bed,
fastened to it, his hopeless wound re-dressed,
Stephen began his long and weary round.
There had been few survivors from the Alastor
and of those few three had already died of
their injuries; most of the rest swore they were