ere was now no need to reef it. Flakes of foam flew over
the spars, the beams groaned. The clouds rushed on, driving the
heaving, thundering waves before them. Soon the little boat was
overtaken by darkness, which was only relieved by flashes of lightning.
Long ago Simon had let go the rudder, and exclaimed, "Jehovah!"
Thunder claps were the only answer. Then the fisherman fell on his
face and groaned; "He gives no help; I thought as much."

James and John sat close to the Master and tried to rouse Him from the
dream into which He had sunk.

"What do you want of Me?"

"Master!" exclaimed James, "you are so entirely with your Heavenly
Father that you do not see how terrible is our doom."

"I thought as much," repeated Simon, almost weeping.

Jesus looked at him earnestly, and said: "If you keep on saying: I
thought as much, well, then, so it must be. Think rather that God's
angels are with you! And you, James! Have you forgotten the trust you
had in God on dry land? Yesterday on the quiet eventide, when, well
fed and cared for we sat in the inn at Chorazin, you spoke much of
trust in God. Trust Him also in distress."

"O Master, I see help nowhere."

"Learn to believe without seeing."

As He spoke a flash of lightning blinded their eyes, and when after a
time they were able to look up again, a wild terror seized them. The
Master was not there. Now that they no longer saw Him, they shouted
loudly; shrieked out His name. Only John remained calm, and looked out
into the darkness, wrapt in some bewilderment or trance.

The foam flew into their faces and reduced them to utter confusion;
they could only involuntarily hold tight to the beams of the swaying
vessel. "Living or dying we will not leave Him," said James. But the
Master had left them. It seemed as though He had never existed. They
seized the rudder again, and, with the courage of men in the presence
of death, wrestled with the storm which seemed disinclined to let its
victims go. "God is with us!" exclaimed Simon quickly, and worked with
all that remained of his strength. "God is with us!" exclaimed James,
and planted the rudder firmly in the water. Only John did not stir.
Bending over the side, he stared out into the wild, grey, whirling
waters. He espied in the midst a circle of light in which appeared a
figure that came nearer, and behold! Jesus was walking on the sea
slowly towards the ship. The waves grew smooth under His feet, th