"Farewell," responded Kaspar. "God be with you, and pardon you, as I
do."

These were the last words Falcon heard from him, for Kaspar disappeared
in the darkness; and immediately thereafter the most terrible
thunder-storm occurred that William had ever experienced. It began with
a flash, that revealed to Falcon's sight not only the mountains and
rocks in his immediate vicinity, but also the valley below, with the
foaming sea and the rocky islets in the bay, between which he thought
he had a vision of a large foreign ship, dismasted; though the sight
was instantly lost again in the inky darkness. The thunder-claps were
deafening. A mass of splintered rock rolled down the mountain-side and
threatened to crush him. The rain poured down in such torrents that the
narrow, marshy valley was flooded with a stream that soon reached to
Falcon's shoulders; fortunately Kaspar had laid him with the upper part
of his body on a slight elevation, else he would surely have drowned.
The water rose still higher, and the more Falcon exerted himself to get
out of his dangerous situation, the tighter did the hide seem to wrap
itself about his limbs. All in vain did he call for Kaspar. Kaspar was
far away. He did not dare to call on God in his distress, and a shudder
ran through his frame whenever he thought of appealing for assistance
to the powers into whose clutches he was conscious of having delivered
himself.

Already the water crept into his ears; now it touched the edge of his
lips. "Oh, God! I am lost!" screamed he, as he felt the water sweep
over his face; but in the same instant the sound of a waterfall close
by came dimly to his ears, and his face was immediately uncovered. The
flood had forced a passage through the stone; and as the rain slackened
and the sky grew lighter, so did his despair abate, and a ray of hope
returned to his mind. But although he felt as exhausted as if just
emerged from a death-struggle, and ardently wished to be released from
his imprisonment, still the purpose of his desperate efforts was not
yet accomplished, and with the vanishing of immediate deadly peril, the
demon of greed returned to his breast. But, convinced that he must
remain in his present situation in order to attain his end, he kept
very quiet, and finally, overcome by cold and exhaustion, fell into a
sound sleep.

He might have slept two hours, when a cold wind blowing over his face,
and a roaring, as of oncoming waves, aroused him