"All right; well clear," he
muttered. "Glad the fog's no higher. Why doesn't he use his whistle?"
Then, with the suddenness of lightning, he found the red light opened on
him, and, with a chill at his heart, he discovered that he could not get
his own vessel out of the road. Once he sang out, and then came the
looming of a black mountain over him. Until the monster's stem took him
on the quarter and the smack hurled over--hustled into the sea by the
impetus of the steamer--Jack never left go of his wheel; he had a few
seconds, and, with his nimble spring, he rushed to the mizen rigging,
nicked the strings of one lifebuoy; lifted another from forward of the
companion, and then made his rush for the forehatch.
"All out. No time for the boats!"
One man sprang up panting and Jack said, "Here you are, Harry. Shove
that on, and jump. Jump to windward." The smack reared up; there was a
long crashing rush of the swift water; then Jack saw the liquid darkness
over him, and he was just beginning to hear that awful buzzing in the
ears when, with a roar, he felt the upper air swoop round him.
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