# VII: The Missing Page explained — The Riddle of the Sands

> Chapter companion for The Riddle of the Sands by Erskine Childers.

## What happens

Davies recounts his harrowing experience navigating the treacherous sands alone in his yacht, the Dulcibella, after being misled by a pilot. He describes being driven onto a lee shore, surviving a series of bumps and near-wrecks, and being rescued by Bartels. Later, he reveals a chart and tells Carruthers about his encounter with Herr Dollmann and his daughter aboard the Medusa, leading to a three-day stay and a joint voyage.

## Themes in this chapter

### The Sea and Nature

Davies' detailed account of battling the storm, navigating the sands, and the raw power of the sea highlights the theme of nature's danger and indifference.

### Deception and Appearance

Davies suspects the pilot was playing his own game, and Dollmann's initial coldness followed by sudden friendliness suggests hidden motives and deceptive appearances.

### Adventure and Self-Discovery

Davies' solo struggle and survival on the sands, as well as his decision to engage with Dollmann, reflect a journey of personal challenge and discovery.

## Character check-ins

### Arthur H. Davies

Narrates his perilous solo sailing ordeal and his subsequent meeting with Dollmann.

### Carruthers

Listener to Davies' story; observes Davies' unusual behavior and examines the chart.

### Dollmann

Owner of the Medusa; described as tall, thin, with greyish hair and a bulging forehead; initially cold but later friendly.

### Fräulein Dollmann

Dollmann's daughter; mentioned as being present during Davies' later visits.

### Bartels

Schiffer who rescues Davies and his yacht after the grounding.

## Key lines

> I knew perfectly well that what I should soon see would be a wall of surf stretching right across and on both sides.

Davies anticipated being surrounded by a barrier of breaking waves.

_Davies describes his grim expectation as he approached the dangerous sands._

> I was like a drunken man running for his life down a dark alley, barking himself at every corner.

Davies felt he was blindly and chaotically escaping danger, suffering damage at every turn.

_A vivid metaphor for his desperate, uncontrolled passage through the narrow channel._

> He seemed to be taking stock of me all the time, as though I were some new animal.

Dollmann scrutinized Davies with analytical curiosity, as if observing a strange creature.

_Davies recalls Dollmann's intense and uncomfortable gaze during their first meeting._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_riddle_of_the_sands_se/chapters/vii-the-missing-page
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_riddle_of_the_sands_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_riddle_of_the_sands_se/chapters