The sun indeed still shone unclouded
over the land, but away out at sea to the north-east there was a
horrible canker of blackness that was eating up the sky, and that
already had hid from sight, as by a wall, those boats that lay farthest
from the land, whilst those still visible could be seen hurriedly
letting everything go by the run. Then the blackness shut down over all,
and men could but guess what was going on behind that terrible veil.
Over the town, as people deserted their houses and hurried to cliff or
sea wall, or wherever there seemed possibility of gaining sight or
knowledge of the fleet, the same horror of darkness came rushing; wind
raved and screamed, and already a sea, indescribable in its appalling
fury, was raging into the bay, the crests, cut off as with a knife,
flying through the air like densest smoke. Rain scourged and blinded,
the driving spray lashed beyond bearing the faces of those who, dread in
their souls, peered through their sheltering hands, trying vainly to
penetrate the smother to windward. A few hundred yards of raging water,
a blurred vision of rushing, tumbling seas; tumultuous, deafening roar
of surf, the tortured scream of wind; and that was all. It was as if one
might try to gaze into the mouth of hell.
Pages:
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51