16 The Wine-Dark Sea - Libro della tutto

Patrick O'Brian The Wine-Dark Sea
By this time the Surprise was perfectly well
placed for her attack on the China ships. They
were well beyond the islands, moving steadily
a little south of west, and with the present
breeze she could cross their wake under a
moderate press of sail within an hour or so.
The misty newcomers lay between the Surprise
and her prey – she would probably pass within
hail – and as he contemplated those vague
forms, now remarkably large and even doubled
by the odd reflexion from frozen mist particles
coupled with what dim shadows they
were capable of casting, it occurred to him
that the ship might conceivably be a Spanish
man-of-war sent to deal with the Alastor, news
of her depredation having reached Cadiz. 'If
that is the case,' he reflected, 'I shall ask
Stephen to have a civil word with her.'
He leant over, meaning to tell Pullings to
wear the ship round on to her new westward