SHIPWRECK 39 



All this while a strong current was carrying us northward 

 where it swept around a point of land. But just before reaching 

 this point it set directly into a maze of coral and reefs. On and 

 on we drifted, nearer, ever nearer until the roar of the breakers 

 must have reached the decks. But down below we slept on, 

 exhausted by the days just past. 



With a frightening crash we hit. Both Coleman and I were 

 thrown to the floor. Dazed and sleepy, startled by the roar that 

 came from outside, we rushed frenziedly for the deck. As we 

 reached it another swell came from out of the ocean, lifted the 

 ship and with a terrific lurch threw it on one side. Coleman 

 grasped the railing and saved himself, but the lurch threw me 

 spinning the entire length of the deck, through the jib sheets 

 and over the bow into the foam. For a brief second I remember 

 hurtling through the air, could dimly see the swirling surf be- 

 neath, and then plunged into the water. As I went down I was 

 rolled over and over by the comber and into the arms of a 

 great coral branch that held me in a strong painful grip. For 

 another second I lay dazed. Off in the dark I could vaguely 

 make out the mound of another roller, black against the stars. 

 On and on it came, rose, curled and made ready to break. With 

 a shout of alarm I quitted my painful bed of coral and dived 

 headlong to one side. And as I dived the stricken ship rose on 

 the tide and came down on the coral I had just left. Had I 

 remained I would have been ground to a bloody pulp. The 

 wave that so nearly finished me, rolled me a few feet further 

 and then sucked me back to the bow. Hurriedly grasping the 

 sprit chain I hauled myself inboard and onto the deck. 



We made one last eifort to save the ship. If we could only 

 get one of our small boats overboard with an anchor and 

 drop it behind the reef, we might still by quick action on the 

 winch pull ourselves clear. With a knife that Coleman dashed 

 into the cabin to secure we cut the lashings of the first boat 



