Seite:Marsh Hallig 1856.djvu/275

275

THE FLOOD.

direction of his house. A long boat-hook which he had
been holding to support himself against the violence of
the tempest, served as a sort of anchor in his battle
with the mighty billows, to which his strength would
have been otherwise unequal ; and in this way, he
struggled on in the direction of the object he had seen.
Just as he rose to take breath from the deep vortex of
a wave which had broken over him — see ! on the white
edge of the nearest wall of water, a dark figure which
is swept onward directly toward him; and in a moment
more, Godber stood again on his wharf, and Maria hung
as if lifeless in his arms.
  So far, the anxious eyes of the pastor and his wife
had observed all their motions ; but now, a huge wave
which rolled over the floor of the house, warned them
to make the preparations necessary for their own safety.
Hold fastened the shutters as closely as possible, and
bolted the doors. The best sheep should have been
taken up to the garret ; but the two alone were not
strong enough to do this; and therefore, they were
obliged to content themselves with carrying up what-
ever else they had most valuable. But not to ex-
pose their child unnecessarily to the cold of the upper
room, and in the hope that by further strengthening,
the door might be made to resist the waves, they deter-
mined to remain below as long as possible. It is true
that light articles began to float about them as the sur-
rounding water could not be entirely excluded from the
house ; but as yet there was no opening large enough to
make them fear immediate danger from the power of the
element within. The mother, to be ready for any event,
had taken into her arms her child, who, after a drowsy,