200 ADVENTURES IN THE WILDERNESS. 



heavens mtli blackness, and makes , sackcloth 

 their covering." 



The storm passed. The cloud toward the west 

 grew thinner, and broke into rifts and ridges, 

 through which the sun sent its radiance in diverg- 

 ing columns. As the beams deepened and spread 

 across the cloud, an arch of purple and gold began 

 to creep over it. Beginning at the southern and 

 northern extremities, the colors clomb upward un- 

 til they joined themselves together at the centre, 

 and there, with two mountains for its pedestals, 

 the magnificent arch stood spanning the inky mass 

 from north to south ; and as I sat silently gazing 

 upon the resplendent symbols of God's abiding 

 mercy, which stood out in full relief against the 

 sombre cloud, in whose bosom might still be heard 

 the roll of thunder, I remembered the language of 

 Ezekiel, where he says, " I fell upon my face, and 

 I heard a voice of one that spake ; for the appear- 

 ance was of the likeness of the glory of the Lord." 

 Suddenly the colors faded away. The sun had 

 called home his beams, and the glory of their re- 

 flection deserted the cloud. I turned my eyes to 

 the west, and up to the summit of tlie moimtain 

 overhanging our camp. For a moment the glowing 

 orb stood as though balanced on the top of the pines; 

 for a moment lake and forest and mountain were 

 ablaze with its radiance ; the next it dropped from 

 sight. The dark trees gloomily outlined themselves 



