Thenextflarecame。Bathshebawasonthegroundnow，shoulderinganothersheaf，andsheboreitsdazzlewithoutflinching-thunderandall-andagainascendedwiththeload。Therewasthenasilenceeverywhereforfourorfiveminutes，andthecrunchofthespars，asGabrielhastilydrovethemin，couldagainbedistinctlyheard。Hethoughtthecrisisofthestormhadpassed。Buttherecameaburstoflight。
`Holdon！’saidGabriel，takingthesheaffromhershoulder，andgraspingherarmagain。
Heavenopenedthen，indeed。Theflashwasalmosttoonovelforitsinexpressiblydangerousnaturetobeatoncerealized，andtheycouldonlycomprehendthemagnificenceofitsbeauty。Itsprangfromeast，west，north，south，andwasaperfectdanceofdeath。Theformsofskeletonsappearedintheair，shapedwithbluefireforbones-dancing，leaping，striding，racingaround，andminglingaltogetherinunparalleledconfusion。Withthesewereintertwinedundulatingsnakesofgreen，andbehindthesewasabroadmassoflesserlight。Simultaneouslycamefromeverypartofthetumblingskywhatmaybecalledashout；since，thoughnoshoutevercamenearit，itwasmoreofthenatureofashoutthanofanythingelseearthly。InthemeantimeoneofthegrislyformshadalighteduponthepointofGabriel’srod，toruninvisiblydownit，downthechain，andintotheearth。Gabrielwasalmostblinded，andhecouldfeelBathsheba’swarmarmtrembleinhishand-asensationnovelandthrillingenough；butlove，life，everythinghuman，seemedsmallandtriflinginsuchclosejuxtapositionwithaninfuriateduniverse。
Oakhadhardlytimetogatheruptheseimpressionsintoathought，andtoseehowstrangelytheredfeatherofherhatshoneinthislight，whenthetalltreeonthehillbeforementionedseemedonfiretoawhiteheat，andanewoneamongtheseterriblevoicesmingledwiththelastcrashofthosepreceding。Itwasastupefyingblast，harshandpitiless，anditfellupontheirearsinadead，flatblow，withoutthatreverberationwhichlendsthetonesofadrumtomoredistantthunder。Bythelustrereflectedfromeverypartoftheearthandfromthewidedomicalscoopaboveit，hesawthatthetreewassliceddownthewholelengthofitstall，straightstem，ahugeribandofbarkbeingapparentlyflungoffTheotherportionremainederect，andrevealedthebaredsurfaceasastripofwhitedownthefront。Thelightninghadstruckthetree。Asulphuroussmellfilledtheair；thenallwassilent，andblackasacaveinHinnom。
`Wehadanarrowescape！’saidGabrielhurriedly。`Youhadbettergodown。’