16 The Wine-Dark Sea - Libro della tutto

Patrick O'Brian The Wine-Dark Sea
which it might lead the enthusiast, it appeared
to him that here reason and instinct coincided,
as they sometimes did when he fought a battle
over again in recollection or at least those
phases such as boarding and the hand-tohand
encounter in which there was really no
time for deliberation, no time at all. And his
reflecting mind approved of his having Ben
here in the launch: it might do great good; it
would do no harm at all.
Yet how Dutourd had managed to get away
was scarcely worth pondering about for any
length of time: all that signified was that he
had got away and that Stephen had said he
should be kept aboard. 'From my point of view
it might be impolitic' for him to be set ashore
in Peru.
Stephen's point of view had of course to do
with intelligence, as Jack knew very well: during
an earlier voyage he had seen him drop a