She seemed to be
dragging with all her might, and there was such an earnest, pleading,
beseeching expression on her dear face that it went to my very heart to
look at her. I noticed that close beside her was the preacher, little
Jack's father, and behind him was Duncan. They were all intent on their
work, and took no notice of me, so I walked to the other end of the
green, the one nearest the sea, that I might see who were there. It was
very dark at that end of the rope, but I could dimly see evil faces, and
dark, strange forms, such as I could not describe. Those on this side
seemed to be having it much their own way, I thought, for the weight,
whatever it was, was gradually drawing near to the sea; and, lo and
behold, I saw that they were close upon a terrible place, for mighty
cliffs stood above the shore, and they were within a very short distance
of a sheer and terrible precipice.
'What are you dragging?' I cried to them.
And a thousand voices seemed to answer, 'A soul! a soul!'
Then, as I watched on, I saw that the precipice was nearly reached, and
that both those who pulled and the weight they were dragging were on the
point of being hurled over, and suddenly it flashed upon me in my dream
that it was _my_ soul for which they were struggling, and I heard
the cry of the pullers from the other side of the green, and it seemed
to me that, with one voice, they were calling out that terrible
question, 'What are the depths, the fearful depths, to which you are
being drawn?' And through the streaming light I saw my mother's face,
and a look of anguish crossed it, as suddenly the rope broke, and those
who were drawing it on the opposite side went over with a crash,
dragging my soul over with them.
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