"
"I'm coming; I'll throw my shoes and coat over there to you first. To be
rid of them will make swimming easier. Watch out now--good! Now draw in
the line; we may need it. Got it all right? Very well; here goes."
He made the plunge, coming up to the surface close beside the raft, the
edge of which he quickly grasped with his hands. The girl remained
motionless, barely perceptible through the gloom, but with anxious eyes
marking his every movement. The frail support beneath her rose and fell
on the swell of the waters, occasionally dipping beneath the surface.
Beyond, a grim, black, threatening shadow, wallowed the wreck. West swam
steadily, urging the unwieldy raft away from the menacing side of the
vessel, driven by the necessity of escaping the inevitable suction when
she went down. It was a hard, slow push, the square sides of the raft
offering every obstacle to progress. Yet the waves and wind helped
somewhat, the raft being lighter than the water-sogged _Seminole_, so
that gradually the distance widened, until there extended a considerable
waste of water between the two. Exhausted by his exertion, and breathing
hard, West glanced back over his shoulder at the dimmer shadow of the
yacht, now barely revealed against the clouded sky. The bulk of it seemed
scarcely visible in any defined form above the level of the sea--the end
must be almost at hand.
Satisfied that they were far enough away for safety, he clambered
cautiously upon the platform, the girl as carefully making room for him
on the few dry planks.
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