stance to the south and east of Cape Colony. It seems to
me now that I heard somebody say we were a little further south of the
regular course taken by vessels sailing around the Cape. It was one of
those pleasant nights in December, which one must experience in southern
waters to appreciate, that I took my turn on watch in the forward part
of the boat. It was past midnight and one of the darkest nights I have
ever known. The sea was rather calm but a good breeze astern caused the
ship to make good headway. I was all alone and paced back and forth from
side to side peering out into space and darkness ahead. Occasionally, I
would remain for several minutes leaning against one of the railings.
Except for the splashing of the sea against the side of the ship, all
was quiet. As I stood in one of my meditative moods, looking straight
ahead, I was suddenly attracted by something which caused me to turn
quickly and look in the opposite direction, and then I observed the
forms of four men coming quickly toward me, but before I realized their
object or had time to speak, they grabbed me by the arms and legs. I
struggled furiously for several moments and freeing my hands, dealt one
of them a vicious punch which felled him to the deck, and it seemed for
awhile that I would shake them all off, when suddenly I received a
terrible blow on the side of my head which partially stunned me, and
during the instant of inactivity on my part I was raised bodily high in
the air and plunged overboard into the waters below.

CHAPTER III

It was in a semi-conscious state that I struck the water head foremost,
and it was by instinct, I suppose, that I immediately started to swim
away from the side of the vessel.

Although I was a powerful swimmer it seemed as if I should never reach
the surface again. The sudden and unexpected plunge had caused me to go
into the sea with my mouth open and thereby swallow a large quantity of
salt water. When almost on the verge of strangulation, however, by a
supreme effort I finally managed to reach the air again, more dead than
alive. It was then some time before I regained my breath and fully
understood what had happened. I assure the reader that it was not a very
pleasant sensation to find myself out in the middle of the ocean without
even the support of a life preserver and the ship sailing away in the
distance. During my adventurous career I had faced death a score of
times without the slightest emotion or