第31章

AsIretiredtomynookandlaydown，Ireflectedthatwhatthebigpeasanthadsaidwasappositeenough-thattheyoungfellow’sfacedidinverytruthresembleanoldandshabbywoollenmitten。

PresentlyIdreamtthatIwaspaintingabelfry，andthat，asI

didso，huge，goggle-eyedjackdawskeptflyingaroundthebelfry’sgables，andflappingatmewiththeirwingsandhinderingmywork:until，asIsoughttobeatthemoff，Imissedmyfooting，felltoearth，andawoketofindmybreathchokingamidadull，sick，painfulfeelingoflassitudeandweakness，andakaleidoscopicmistquaveringbeforemyeyestillitrenderedmedizzy。Frommyhead，behindthecar，athinstreamofbloodwastrickling。

Risingwithsomedifficultytomyfeet，Isteppedafttoapump，washedmyheadunderajetofcoldwater，bounditwithmyhandkerchief，and，returning，inspectedmyresting-placeinastateofbewildermentastowhatcouldhavecausedtheaccidenttohappen。

OnthedecknearthespotwhereIhadbeenasleep，therewasstandingstackedapileofsmalllogspreparedforthecook’sgalley；while，intheprecisespotwheremyheadhadrestedtherewasreposingabirchfaggotofwhichthewithy-tiehadcomeunfastened。AsIraisedthefallenfaggotIperceivedittobecleanandcomposedofsilkyloppingsofbirch-barkwhichrustledasIfingeredthem；and，consequently，Ireflectedthattheceaselessvibrationofthesteamermusthavecausedthefaggottobecomejerkedontomyhead。

Reassuredbythisplausibleexplanationoftheunfortunate，butabsurd，occurrenceofwhichIhavespoken，Inextreturnedtothestern，wheretherewerenooppressiveodourstobeencountered，andwhenceagoodviewwasobtainable。

Thehourwastheturnofthenight，thehourofmaximumtensionbeforedawn，thehourwhenalltheworldseemsplungedinaprofundityofslumberwhencetherecanbenoawakening，andwhenthecompletenessofthesilenceattunesthesoultospecialsensibility，andwhenthestarsseemtobehangingstrangelyclosetoearth，andthemorningstar，inparticular，tobeshiningasbrightlyasaminiaturesun。Yetalreadyhadtheheavensbeguntogrowcoldlygrey，tolosetheirnocturnalsoftnessandwarmth，whiletheraysofthestarsweredroopinglikepetals，andthemoon，hithertogolden，hadturnedpaleandbecomedustedoverwithsilver，andmovedfurtherfromtheearthasintangiblythewateroftheriverslougheditsthick，viscousgleam，andswiftlyemittedandwithdrew，stray，pearlyreflectionsofthechangesoccurringintheheavenlytints。

Intheeasttherewasrising，andhangingsuspendedovertheblackspearsofthepineforest，athinpinkmistthesensuoushueofwhichwasglowingeverbrighter，andassumingadensityevergreater，andstandingforthmoreboldlyandclearly，evenasawhisperoftimidprayermergesintoasongofexultantthankfulness。Anothermoment，andthespikedtopsofthepinesblazedintopointsofredfireresemblingfestivalcandlesinasanctuary。

Next，anunseenhandthrewoverthewater，drewalongitssurface，atransparentandmany-colourednetofsilk。Thiswasthemorningbreeze，heraldofdawn，aswithacoatingoftissue-like，silveryscalesitrippledtheriveruntiltheeyegrewwearyoftryingtofollowtheplayofgoldandmother-of-pearlandpurpleandbluish-greenreflectedfromthesun-renovatedh

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