19 - The Hundred Days.rtf by The Hundred Days

Author:The Hundred Days
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2011-09-12T09:18:41+00:00

Chapter Six

At Durazzo they stood out to sea, leaving the blaze on their larboard quarter and sailing across an uneventful sea with a fine topgallant breeze. But two days later, a little after seven bells in the last dog-watch the mild northerly wind that had brought them so far gave a sigh and faltered; and those that knew these waters well said 'We're in for a right levanter, mate.'

Jack gazed at the sky: his officers, the bosun and the older hands gazed at Jack: and no one was surprised when just before the usual moment for the pipe 'Stand by your hammocks' the Commodore took over the deck and called for preventer-stays, rolling tackles, the taking in of topgallants, the rigging of storm-jibs and staysails, and the bowsing of the guns so taut up against the sides that their carriages squeaked, all except for the brass bow-chaser that fired the evening gun.

The hands perfectly agreed with the orders, unwelcome though they were to the watch below, and they worked with remarkable speed -

scarcely a word of direction, all the original Surprises being truly able seamen - partly because the larbowlins wanted to turn in after a long day and partly because they all knew how violent and sudden and untrustworthy these Mediterranean winds could be.

When at last the evening gun boomed out and the bosun did pipe

'Stand by your hammocks', the first gust of the levanter came racing across the water with a low cloud of spray: it struck the Surprise from astern, a glancing blow that drove her foretop deep, so that she gave a sudden peck like a horse going over a hedge and finding the ground on the far side much lower than it had expected - a movement so violent that it flung Stephen and Jacob the length of the gunroom, together with their backgammon board, the dice and the men.

'It was the all-dreaded thunder-stroke,' said Stephen.

'I am in no position to contradict you, colleague, being your subordinate,' said Jacob, 'but in my opinion it is the first blast of a levanter. And I believe Shakespeare said thunder-stone.'

'I do not set myself up as an authority on Shakespeare,' said Stephen.

'Nor I. All I know of the gentleman is that he had a second-best bed.' 'I was aware that being gammoned twice running had vexed you: but to this degree. . . I wonder that competitive games have survived so long, such intense resentment do they breed. Even I dislike being beaten at chess.'

Jacob, having picked up the last of the dice, was about to say something very cutting indeed, when Somers walked in. 'Well, gentlemen,' he said 'I would not have you go on deck without tarpaulins and a sou'wester for the world. I am soused as a herring, and must shift my clothes directly.' He moved towards his cabin, and Jacob called after him, 'Is it raining?'

'No, no. It is only a prodigious spindrift worked up by this levanter - coming aboard in buckets.'

'Beg pardon,

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