This ship of ours was slow, if stout and weatherly.

Then he went forward quickly, never looking behind him.
"Have you heard, Dalfin ?" I asked; and he answered that he had, and that he was ready.
"Follow me closely," I said.

"I am going to cast off the boat's painter and go over the side with it in my hand.

You will be close on me." With that I drew myself up through the hatch, and crawled under cover of the long bale of canvas--which, doubtless, Asbiorn had set where it was on purpose--to the cleat, cast off the line, and swung myself overboard with as little noise as possible.

The boat came up and nearly ran over me; but I had expected that, and was ready.