The dead weight of the breaker astern now dragged the craft horizontally through the air, so that her tackle ropes strained hard.

She quivered like a dolphin.

Nevertheless, had we not feared her loud splash upon striking the wave, we might have quitted the ship almost as silently as the breath the body.

But this was out of the question, and our plans were laid accordingly.
"All ready, Jarl ?" "Ready." "A man overboard!" I shouted at the top of my compass; and like lightning the cords slid through our blistering hands, and with a tremendous shock the boat bounded on the sea's back.

One mad sheer and plunge, one terrible strain on the tackles as we sunk in the trough of the waves, tugged upon by the towing breaker, and our knives severed the tackle ropes--we hazarded not unhooking the blocks--our oars were out, and the good boat headed round, with prow to leeward.
"Man overboard!" was now shouted from stem to stern.