Seite:Marsh Hallig 1856.djvu/277

277

THE FLOOD.

got that they were saved for the moment, both forgot
that the next instant the wild waves might sweep them
off again, a sacrifice to the raging sea. The situation
of the pastor's family, as well as that of their neighbors,
was now perilous in the extreme. The waves were roll-
ing around them with terrible violence, breaking down,
one by one, all the partitions in the interior of the
house, madly tossing about the heaviest weights as if
they had been but feathers, and the unfortunate in-
mates, in danger every moment of being crushed by the
large objects thus driven about, stood half dead with
fear before the open passage to the garret, which seemed
only to mock them with the hope of life, since there
was no longer any means of reaching the floor above.
But it was some relief to them, when a portion of the
wall opposite the place which had first given way, was
carried off, while the part directly behind them, still
remained firm. The boxes, beams, and fragments of
the wall, which had been so dangerous, were washed
out through this opening, and they soon had only to
sustain themselves against the continually rising flood,
for the bare posts alone remained, except just where
they were standing. Had the wall here given way, they
must all have been swept out into the sea. But the
flood rose higher and higher, and the certainty of death
increased, for even with the aid of the wall, the great-
est exertion was necessary to enable the unfortunate
sufferers to keep themselves on their feet, and it was
utterly impossible for them to reach the garret. Al-
ready several waves had broken over their heads, and
Hold's wife was obliged to lift the weeping child that
she had not been willing to confide even to her hus-