Chapter 10: Hope Abandoned. . . Until Death Summary and Analysis

To Luis, all signs indicated that he was heading to shore, perhaps somewhere along Colombia's coast. He continued to search the horizon but spotted no coastline. The old sea gull had come aboard to take a free ride. He didn't seem to fear Luis at all and even gently pecked him on the head a few times. The sun was hot early that morning. Luis' skin, especially his back, was burnt and blistered. The gull took off to join its flock.

Despair overtook Luis. He lay in the raft on his stomach, exposing his badly burned back. If he stayed in that position until twilight, he'd be dead. Luis had given up. He wasn't hungry or thirsty or frightened. Dying was his only hope. He began to think about his time in Mobile...