16 The Wine-Dark Sea - Libro della tutto

Patrick O'Brian The Wine-Dark Sea
Sam's great flashing smile lit up his face and
he, clasping Jack, cried, 'Oh sir...' Then his
expression changed to one of the utmost concern
as he saw the bandage and he went on,
'But you are wounded – you are ill – let you sit
down.' He guided Jack to his chair, lowered
him gently into it, and sat under the hanging
lamp gazing at him, drawn, lined and ravaged
as he was, with such troubled affection that
Jack said, 'Never take on so, dear Sam. My
eye is all right, I believe – I can see pretty well.
And for the rest, we had a rough time of it on
a lee shore in the Alastor's launch during the
easterly blow – she was stove, dismasted – lost
our food and water – nothing to eat but a raw
sea-lion. We had been forced back past the
sea-lion island seven times and I said, 'Shipmates,
if we don't get round and run clear on
this tack we shall have a dirty night of it.' Well,
we did get round, but we did not run clear.