n I struck the water, head downward, almost perpendicularly, and the
only sound I heard was the hissing of the water in my ears as the
blue-green light about me grew gradually more and more dim. With my
body slightly curved, and my back a trifle hollowed, I knew that even
while plunging downward I was also rushing toward the barque, and
presently I struck out strongly, arms and legs, as I caught sight,
through the water, of a huge dark body, at no great distance, that I
knew to be the swaying hull for which I was making. At length, gasping
for breath, I rose to the surface, and found that I was within twenty
feet of the barque's stern, with the whole of her crew upon their feet,
anxiously watching me, while a man stood at her taffrail, holding a coil
of rope in his hand. The instant he saw me he shouted: "Look out,
monsieur; I am about to heave!"

"All right; heave!" I shouted in return, gasping in the midst of the
wild popple that leaped about the labouring craft; and the next instant
a flake of the uncoiling end of the line hit me sharply across the face.
I seized it tightly, and sang out:

"Haul me to the starboard mizen chains!" The man flung up his hand in
reply and, holding on to the rope, started _at a run_ along the deck,
dragging me after him. It was a good job that I had thought of taking a
turn round one arm, or in his eagerness he would have dragged the rope
out of my grasp; as it was, the strain he brought to bear, added to that
of the long length of line trailing behind me, almost tore my arms out
of their sockets. Moreover, I was half suffocated by the deluge of
water that came crashing down upon me like a cataract off the deck of
the wreck every time that she rolled toward me. Luckily, this condition
of affairs was of but brief duration; and presently I found myself in
the wake of the mizen chains, and in imminent danger of being struck and
driven under by the overhanging channel piece; I watched my opportunity,
however, and, as the barque rolled toward me I seized the lanyards of
one of the shrouds, got a footing, somehow, and dragged myself in over
the rail. I felt terribly exhausted by the brief but fierce buffeting I
had received alongside; but time was precious--the _City of Cawnpore_
was still square athwart the stern of the wreck, but driving away to
leeward at a terrible rate, and I knew that unless we were very smart we
should still fail to get the hawser from her--so I flung up one arm