Final answer:
The provided excerpts that describe scenes from the story do not match the specific options given for the rising action of the story. Rising action refers to events building suspense and tension, and is essential for developing the narrative's conflict and characters.
Step-by-step explanation:
Based on the excerpts provided, none of the options A, B, C, or D are mentioned within these texts, meaning that this specific text doesn't contain the rising action elements described in the question. However, analyzing the concept of the rising action from a general literary perspective, rising action includes a series of relevant incidents that create suspense, interest, and tension in a narrative, leading up to the climax. In the snippets of the story, we see instances of the characters reacting to their environment and situation, such as struggling in the water, or the correspondent finding cigars in his pocket after a wave washes over. These build the story's tension and contribute to the overall rising action of the narrative.
Rising action in literature significantly influences how events unfold, including characters' development and the audience's engagement with the story's conflict. The scenes described evoke the characters' desperation and increasing hopes for rescue, which are essential elements of the rising action phase in storytelling.