Chapter 12

Summary

The next morning, Jim and the others in the lifeboat are rescued by the Avondale. As the others tell a lie about what has happened, Jim remains silent. The captain says that the first lifeboat was lowered slowly when suddenly the Patna went down, sinking like lead. He manages to save himself and some of his crew. As Jim hears the lies, he is thinking about the voices he has heard throughout the night, coming from people on the Patna screaming for help as they drown.

When the Avondale arrives in port, Jim immediately learns that a French gunboat has towed the Patna to Aden successfully and an investigation is to begin immediately, Jim realizes that the voices he had heard were in his imagination. He still feels guilty about not helping the people on the boat and convinces himself that he would have tried to rescue them if he had been able to see the lights of the ship.

In this chapter, Jim's imagination continues to play tricks on him. He still thinks that he has heard the screaming voices of the pilgrims as they drown. When he learns that the Patna and the pilgrims have been saved, he finally acknowledges that the voices were only in his imagination. He still imagines, however, that he would have tried to rescue them if he had been able to see the lights of the ship. It is obvious that Jim continues to exist in a dream world, even after the reality of the Patna is known.

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