Seite:Marsh Hallig 1856.djvu/194

194THE HALLIG.

invisible, presented a most curious spectacle. What
we are about to relate may seem almost incredible to
all unacquainted with these seas, but we speak from
personal experience here, as well as in other portions of
the book.
  As soon as the fog rose, every eye was unconsciously
turned back toward the vessel. If they could only have
seen something in any direction ! If they were more
than three steps apart they became invisible to each
other, and could find one another again only by calling.
Oswald had as yet no suspicion of the great danger, and
could not understand their anxious consultations. He
thought that by carefully keeping the right direction,
they could not fail to reach firm land. The result of the
council, too, was to go forward, as the hallig, though
more distant, would not be so easily missed as the small
vessel. Oswald walked boldly in advance, trilling a
song, but when they came to deeper places which could
not be waded through, to runs which they were com-
pelled to avoid by making various turns before a place
could be found narrow enough to overleap, when some-
times one, sometimes another of the party, was lost for
a considerable time in the fog, he then became more
and more silent. When he had twice, either from
hurrying thoughtlessly forward, »r remaining too far be-
hind, been able to find his companions only by loud
shouts — for the thick fog impeded sound as* well as
sight — when sometimes sinking deep into the ooze,
sometimes making a false spring, he had learned all the
difficulties of the way; then cold drops fell from his
forehead, and at every pause, he felt the trembling of
fear in his limbs. Such pauses became more and more