sh, and snow enveloped us;
before we knew what was coming the nearest tree had cast the burden from
all its branches at once. The atmospheric pressure now became so great
that two more, then five, six, ten, twenty trees freed themselves, with
violent din, from their heavy loads, sending an echo through the wood
and a mist as from mighty snow-drifts. This was followed by cluster
after cluster of trees, some at our sides, some at a long distance off,
some right in front of us; the movement first passed through two great
arms, which gradually spread into manifold divisions; ere long the whole
forest trembled. The thunder rolled far away from us, close by us, now
at intervals, now all at once, and seemed interminable. Before us
everything was surrounded by a white mist; this loud rumbling of thunder
through the wood had at first appalled us; gradually as it passed
farther on and grew in proportion it became so majestic that we forgot
all else.

The trees stood once more proudly erect, fresh and green; we ourselves
looked like snow-men. All the lanterns were extinguished, we lighted
them again, and we shook the snow from us. Then we heard in a moaning
tone: "What if the little boys are lying under a snow-drift!"

It was the mother who spoke. Several hastened to say that it could not
in any way harm them, that the worst possible result would be that they
might be thrown down, perhaps stifled for a little while; but they would
surely be able to work their way out again. There was one who said that
unquestionably the children would scream as soon as they were free from
the snow, and Atlung called out: "Hark!" We stood for more than a minute
listening; but we heard nothing except a far-off echo from some solitary
cluster of trees that had just been drawn into the vortex with the rest.

But if the boys were in one of the remote recesses of the wood, their
voices could scarcely reach us; on either side of us the edges of the
ravine were higher than the banks of the pond where we stood.

"Yes, let us go search for them," said Atlung, deeply moved; as he
spoke, he went close to the brink of the pond, turned toward the rest of
us who were beginning to step down, and bade us pause. Then he cried:
"Anton and little Storm! Come home again to papa and mamma! Papa is no
longer angry!" It was heart-rending to hear him. No answer came. We
waited a long time. No answer.

Despondently he returned, and came down on the path with the rest o