I made it worse by the way I started to a sitting posture.

I had shipped some water.

I was shipping more.

Yet all around the sea was glassy; whence then the commotion?
As my ship came trim again, and I saw that my hour was not yet, the cause occurred to me; and my heart turned so sick that it was minutes before I had the courage to test my theory.
It was the true one.
A shark had been at my trailing fowls; had taken the bunch of them together, dragging the legs from my loose fastenings.

Lucky they had been no stronger! Else had I been dragged down to perdition too.
Lucky, did I say?
The refinement of cruelty rather; for now I had neither meat nor drink; my throat was a kiln; my tongue a flame; and another day at hand.
The stars were out; the sea was silver; the sun was up!.