Finally the man lay quiet in sleep. Two or three times during the night the sick wolf had come close to the man, bared its teeth, and sniffed in hunger, but the man flung his arms out and scared the wolf away.
The first rays of daylight brought the man to life. He was no longer able to stand, so he began to crawl toward the ship. He could see it now—lying beyond the breakers. His knees and arms were raw and bleeding, but the man kept moving, a foot at a time, until he reached the beach, where he lay quietly—unable to move a foot farther. He dreamed of food, clean clothing, and warm sunshine, and then he began to crawl again.