He was not in sight, and I knew not what direction to
take. It was a gloomy night, the transient glimpses of the moon
between driving masses of clouds only making the scene more wild and
appalling. I could see the tops of the tall trees bending under the
fury of the blast, ere it came to sweep the beach. The heaving billows
were covered with foam, far as the eye could reach, and, rising and
tumbling, seemed striving with each other as they rolled on towards
the sands. I had seen storms upon the ocean before, but never had it
presented so awful and majestic an appearance. As the breakers struck
upon the shore, and sent a huge mass of water upon the sands, their
sullen roar mingled with the howling and rushing of the wind, and
filled me with awe.
There were torches upon the beach, and as I drew near, I saw the
fishermen run together to one point. The body had just been washed
ashore, and lay stretched upon the sands. The head was bare, and long
locks of white hair streamed down upon the shoulders. The heavy
pea-jacket was off from one arm, as if he had endeavored to extricate
himself from it in the water. The sinewy arms lay powerless and free
from tension then, but they told me that, when they first drew him
from the surf, both hands were grasping a broken oar with such
strength that they were unable to loose his hold, till suddenly the
muscles relaxed, and the arms fell upon the ground.
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