llions of our species mingle there; in small harmony it is
true, but better fight among ourselves than ever thus to wage a war with
man. Now too approaches the time of our revenge: we'll take his life;
we'll sink his ships; we'll break his boasted wealth into uncounted
atoms, and scatter it."

The Brooks trembled in the strong grasp of the Mountain-Torrent to hear
the vehemence with which he spoke these threatening words; but lost
their fears in greater astonishment, as now they neared the ocean waste,
fringed with the lines of brown and blue of which he spoke.

"Why, sister, what a noise!" cried one of the Brooks, "our own is not to
be heard."

"See what a dreadful wall appears to rise and fall as we approach,"
answered the other. And they both clung closer to the embrace of the
Torrent as he crossed the beach they reached at last, and plunged, with
sticks and stones and all, upon the wall of foam and sand, which parted
as the Mountain-Torrent and the Brooks joined forces with old _Ocean's_
solemn waste.

In an instant the meadow-born Brook writhed in pain, pressed on by
thousands of Mountain-Torrents every way at once. She foamed and fought,
and fought and foamed; under and over, up and below she plunged, but no
escape; one weary work for ages yet to come!

"Revenge once more! Gather and rage! Dash to ruin ships and sailors!"
growled a tone which made the writhing Brook tremble into a million
foam-beads, as simultaneously a roaring Tempest clattered by with
thunder and lightning in its train, while a clashing hiss, as of
something rushing madly through the water, bade the Brook--the sea-slave
Brook--look up.

No time for thought; for still the tone was heard, "Revenge once more!
gather and rage! dash to ruin ship and sailors!" And still the tempest
clattered, and still the hissing of the gallant ship's prow was heard
cleaving the maddened waves. On, on! a dash; a crash; a march of
maddening waves; a stunning tempest howl, and then the hiss was heard no
more. But far and wide were hurried and mashed in one chaotic mass the
fragments of the gallant ship.

"How wise he is; how true my Mountain-Torrent spoke," thought the
frightened sea-slave Brook, as the clattering tempest, with thunder and
lightning in its train, passed out of sight and hearing leagues beyond.
"And now I'll rest me on this sandy beach, for this ambitious life is
wearisome indeed."

And she nestled closely to a rock, and so crept into grateful