from his happy state
of oblivion. The sky was darkened anew. A flash, like that which had
ushered in the first storm, lighted up once more the surrounding
region, and he fancied he had another vision of the strange ship, that
was now poised for an instant on the crest of an enormous wave close to
the Steenfoll cliffs, and then appeared to shoot suddenly into the
rocky chasm. He continued to stare after the phantom, as the sea was
now illuminated by unceasing flashes of lightning, when suddenly a
water-spout rose from the valley, near where he lay, and dashed him so
violently against a rock as to deprive him of his senses. When he
recovered consciousness, the weather had cleared, the sky was bright,
but the lightning still continued.

He lay close at the base of the mountains that shut in this valley,
feeling so badly bruised that he had no desire to stir. He heard the
quieter beating of the surf, mingled with a solemn melody like that of
a psalm. These tones were at first so faint that he thought they must
be an illusion; but they occurred again and again, each time clearer
and nearer, and at last he thought he could distinguish the melody of a
psalm which he had heard on board a Dutch fishing-smack the Summer
before. Finally he could also make out voices, and he seemed to be able
to distinguish the words of the song. The voices were now in the
valley, and he pushed himself, with difficulty, to a stone, upon which
he raised his head, and perceived a procession of human figures,
evidently the singers he had heard, and who were coming directly
towards him. Care and grief were expressed on the faces of these
people; and water was dripping from their clothes. Now they were close
to him, and their song ceased. At their head were several musicians;
then followed some seamen, and after these came a tall and strong man
in a costume richly decorated with gold, apparently belonging to a past
age. A sword hung at his side, and he carried in his hand a stout
Spanish cane with a gold head. At his left side walked a negro boy,
who, from time to time, handed his master a long-stemmed pipe, from
which the latter would take several grave puffs and then walk on. He
stopped bolt upright before Falcon, while other men, less splendidly
dressed, ranged themselves on either side of him. They all had pipes in
their hands, not, however, as costly as that of their leader. Behind
them came still other persons, among them being several women, some