How does Rainsford escape Zaroff?

The last day, Rainsford is awakened by a harrowing sound. The pack of dogs is coming his way. He knows he had two options—either he could stay where he was or he could run. An idea occurred to him—and he begins to run away from the swamp. Upon climbing a tree, Rainsford is able to sight Zaroff, Ivan, and the pack of dogs. Using a trick he learned in Uganda, Rainsford fastens a knife to the end of a young sapling. Orienting the tree toward the path of his pursuers, he takes off. After a few minutes, he climbs a tree to see if his trap had worked. His heart sinks when he sees that Zaroff is still standing. Ivan, on the other hand, had succumbed to the knife.

Frustrated, Rainsford picks up his run once again. After spotting a blue patch between some trees, he decides to run in that direction. When he arrives at the source he realizes that he is facing the sea. He can hear the hounds fast approaching. Without a second thought, he leaps into the ocean.

When Zaroff arrives at the edge of the cliff, he stops to regard the waters below. Disappointed, he shrugs his shoulders, takes a puff of a cigarette, and drinks a sip of brandy. He then heads home.