The Seven Years of Seeking 115

night, were now sunken, as it were, in the
billows.

“Truly,” said Serapion, “it is even as
his Discretion the Bishop told us; whether
east we sail or west, or cross-wise north and
south, the earth is of the figure of a ball.
In a little while it may be that we shall see
the pilot star no more ;” and he was sorely
troubled in his mind as to how they should
steer thereafter with no beacon in heaven to
guide them, and how they would make their
way back to the Abbey of the Holy Face.

In their wandering they set eyes on a
thing well-nigh incredible — nothing less
than fishes rising from the depths of the
sea, and flying like birds over the ship, and
diving into the sea again, and yet again
rising into the air and disporting themselves
in the sun. At night, too, they beheld
about the ship trails of fire in the sea, cross-
ing and re-crossing each other, and the fire
marked the ways of huge blue fishes, swift
and terrible; and the Sea-farers prayed that
these malignant searchers of the deep might
not rise into the air and fall ravening upon
them while they slept. In the darkness
strange patches and tangles of light, blue