208 PASSING STORM. 



to listen, and no sound could be heard. The Scaw- 

 fell cataracts were voiceless to us; and there was 

 not an insect to hum in the air. The vales which 

 we had seen from Esk Hause lay yet in view ; and, 

 side by side with Eskdale, we now saw the sister- 

 vale of Donnerdale terminated by the Duddon 

 Sands. But the majesty of the mountains below 

 and close to us is not to be conceived. We now 

 beheld the whole mass of Great Gable from its 

 base — the den of Wastdale at our feet — a gulf 

 immeasurable ; Grasmire, and the other mountains 

 of Crummock ; Ennerdale and its mountains ; and 

 the sea beyond ! " . . . . " While we were 

 gazing around, 'Look/ I exclaimed, 'at yon ship 

 upon the glittering sea V ' Is it a ship ? ' replied 

 our shepherd-guide. ' It can be nothing else/ in- 

 terposed my companion. 'I cannot be mistaken; 

 I am so accustomed to the appearance of ships at 

 6ea/ The guide dropped the argument ; but before 

 a minute was gone, he quietly said, ' Now look at 

 your ship — it is changed into a horse/ So it 

 was; a horse with a gallant neck and head. We 

 laughed heartily ; and I hope, when again inclined 

 to be positive, I may remember the ship and the 

 horse upon the glittering sea; and the calm con- 

 fidence yet submissiveness of our wise man of the 

 mountains, who certainly had more knowledge of 

 the clouds than we, whatever might be our know- 

 ledge of ships. 



" I know not how long we might have remained 

 on the summit of the Pike, without a thought of 

 moving, had not our guide warned us that we must 

 not linger, for a storm was coming. We looked in 

 vain to espy the signs of it. Mountains, vales and 



