The heavy rain that accompanied the gale almost blinded him,
and the seas grew so high that he abandoned paddling and sought only to
keep his head against the overpowering waves that then drove down on
him. An indescribable feeling of loneliness came over him. Once his
paddle was wrenched from his hand by a heavy sea, but he fortunately
recovered it. At times a great wave would completely submerge him. Then
he would shoot to the crest where he would have time to breathe
before he was again hurled down a sloping mass of water that seemed to
him fully a hundred feet to the bottom. During this terrible
ordeal, he has since confessed that he firmly believed that his last
hour had come. He thought of all his transgressions. To use his
own words:
"I recalled every mean trick I had ever committed against God and man in
my reckless life and I did my utmost to remember the best and most
effective prayer that I was taught when a boy."
For hours, that seemed weeks to him, he was driven along before the
mighty seas. About three o'clock in the morning the water became
more agitated and a booming sound struck Paul's ear. Coming to an
upright position, he peered eagerly to leeward thinking he might be
close to Cape Clear.
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