Seite:Marsh Hallig 1856.djvu/279

north and east side. What a prospect ! A broad
boundless expanse of waves that, sometimes, heaping
themselves up like an arch, threatened to crash their
place of refuge at a single stroke, then sinking down,
surged up from beneath, as if about to toss it high in
the air and scatter asunder its few remaining fragments.
Beams, boards, chests, beds, and cradles, with the bod-
ies of sheep, were all hurrying by together, and rolling
onward, as if each were anxious to find, as soon as pos-
sible, a resting-rplace behind the dikes on the main
land which lay in the direction of the storm. Among
these ruins which announced the fate of the islands
lying further to the north-west, floated here and there a
form which spoke fearfully to the despairing group of
their own approaching fate. The full moon shed a
painfully clear light on this terrible picture, as if night
had cruelly borrowed the brilliancy of day, that man
might not be spared this sight of horror. None of the
houses on the hallig, could have been seen in the direc-
tion which was open, except that of Godber, and this
had totally disappeared. But see ! do not two figures,
closely embracing each other, stand there on the surf—
for no solid object was visible on which the foot could
rest. It was Godber with Maria. With more than
human strength, he seemed struggling against the
winds and waves. Now he braced himself against the
force of a sudden gust which rolled a heavier billow
completely over them, then raised himself and lifted
the young girl in his arms, to recover breath for new
exertions. But in vain ! The support beneath his
feet, whether a wall, or a timber, held no longer. A
huge wave rolled forward like some greedy monster, and