It was no light adventure, this trusting ourselves in a small boat to so raw and stormy a sea, and it was imperative that we should guard ourselves against the cold and wet.
We worked feverishly at carrying our plunder on deck and depositing it amidships, so feverishly that Maud, whose strength was hardly a positive quantity, had to give over, exhausted, and sit on the steps at the break of the poop.

This did not serve to recover her, and she lay on her back, on the hard deck, arms stretched out, and whole body relaxed.

It was a trick I remembered of my sister, and I knew she would soon be herself again.

I knew, also, that weapons would not come in amiss, and I re-entered Wolf Larsen's state-room to get his rifle and shot-gun.

I spoke to him, but he made no answer, though his head was still rocking from side to side and he was not asleep.
"Good-bye, Lucifer," I whispered to myself as I softly closed the door.
Next to obtain was a stock of ammunition,--an easy matter, though I had to enter the steerage companion-way to do it.