Before we could draw breath a heavy gust
struck her, another roller took her unfairly under the weather bow, she
gave a toppling lurch, and filled her decks. Captain Allistoun leaped
up, and fell; Archie rolled over him, screaming:--"She will rise!"
She gave another lurch to leeward; the lower deadeyes dipped heavily;
the men's feet flew from under them, and they hung kicking above the
slanting poop. They could see the ship putting her side in the water,
and shouted all together:--"She's going!" Forward the forecastle doors
flew open, and the watch below were seen leaping out one after another,
throwing their arms up; and, falling on hands and knees, scrambled aft
on all fours along the high side of the deck, sloping more than the
roof of a house. From leeward the seas rose, pursuing them; they looked
wretched in a hopeless struggle, like vermin fleeing before a flood;
they fought up the weather ladder of the poop one after another, half
naked and staring wildly; and as soon as they got up they shot to
leeward in clusters, with closed eyes, till they brought up heavily with
their ribs against the iron stanchions of the rail; then, groaning, they
rolled in a confused mass.
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