Then, before she could recover, up came the next wave, towering high over our heads, and fell like a mountain upon us.
The next thing I was aware of was that I was clinging to a spar in the water, with a strong arm around me, and a voice in my ear: "Hold on, hold on!" Then, when I opened my eyes, I saw Ludar and some floating timbers, and nothing more.
But towards one of these timbers he was striking out desperately, which proved to be a small boat, bottom uppermost, which had lain on the deck, and which having been wrenched from its cords, had floated free of the wreck.

Between us we reached it, and, with much labour, turned it over.
It had neither oars nor sail.

Yet, as we clung to it, we could see it was sound of bottom, and would at least hold the two of us.
How we got in, I know not; yet, I think, between two waves, Ludar steadied it while I got in, and then between the next two, I hauled him in.

At first, it seemed, in this cockleshell, we were little better off than clinging to the spar, for every wave threatened to swamp it.

Yet by God's mercy it carried us somehow.
Not a sign could we see of any of our late shipmates.