16 The Wine-Dark Sea - Libro della tutto

Patrick O'Brian The Wine-Dark Sea
'You astonish me, Mr Reade,' said Jack. 'And
now, I perceive, she is throwing out a signal.
Be so good as to read it.'
Norton stepped forward; Reade rested the
telescope on his shoulder, focused, and said,
'Alphabetic, sir: our alphabet. H,A,P,P,Y
R,E,T,U,R,N, sir.'
'Come,' cried Jack, 'that's handsome. Reply
Same to you. Who is their president, Tom?'
'Mr Washington, I believe,' said Pullings, after
some thought.
'Compliments to Mr Washington would be
too long by far. No, leave it at that, Mr Reade;
and give him a gun in return. Tom,' he went
on, 'let us not crack on at all, but proceed
east-north-east at a walking-pace until we are
out of this infernal ice. Let us not rush upon
our doom like a parcel of mad lunatics or
gabardine swine. A walking-pace, Captain