Читать книгу Edith Percival. A Novel онлайн

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"To the raft! to the raft, for your lives!" shouted Captain Harden, as he rushed on deck, "the ship is sinking!"

Even as he spoke, she began plunging to and fro, like a frightened steed.

In a moment they had flung their raft over the side, and had leaped from the deck.

They were not a moment too soon. The doomed ship, after a few mad struggles, began rapidly to settle in the water. The waves seemed lashed into fury, and the crest of each huge billow swept the dismantled deck. Suddenly she was whirled round and round by some impetuous force, then rising almost perpendicularly, she plunged down, stern foremost. In the enormous whirlpool thus formed, they almost imagined they could see the bottom; so great was its force, that although they were at some distance, they held their breath for a moment in involuntary terror, as they were swept rapidly toward the hissing vortex. But the waves again closed over her, and every sign of life vanished from the horizon.

"There perished as noble a bark as ever braved the blue Atlantic!" said Captain Harden, dashing the spray from his eyes.