"
He had scarcely spoken when he shouted "Ship ahoy! Look out for
yourself, lad!" Startled by the suddenness of the cry Ralph looked
round. He saw a crest of white foam a few yards away in the darkness.
A moment later something dark passed over his head and a rope brushed
his cheek, and as it did so a black mass struck the boat. There was a
crash, a shock, and the Heartsease, after first heeling deeply over
under the pressure, suddenly sank down like a stone. Ralph had
staggered under the force of the collision, and would have fallen back
as the boat heeled over, but instinctively he threw up his arms and
his hand came in contact with the rope that had an instant before
touched his cheek. He seized it with both hands, and threw his legs
round it as the boat went down from under his feet, the whole thing
being so sudden that it was nearly a minute before he could realize
what had happened. Then he heard voices talking close by and, as it
seemed, above him.
"Hullo!" he shouted. "Help!" A few seconds later the light of a
lantern was flashed down upon him. Then a figure crawled out on the
spar projecting above his head, seized him by the collar, and lifted
him from the bobstay to which he was clinging on to the bowsprit. A
minute later he was standing on the deck.
"Thank you!" he exclaimed. "Have you seen anything of the man who was
with me? There were two of us on board.
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