What metaphors are used in Rosaura a Las Diez by Denevi?

There are a number of metaphors in Chapter Six, most of which are related to the sea: "he grabbed at that smile the way a shipwrecked soul grasps at timber," "his flag's at half-mast," and "froggy-voiced gentlemen." These metaphors allude to the fact that something about the story is murky, unclear, or under the surface.