Thunder rolled with menacing crashes up the valley and scattered through the woods in intermittent batteries.

He stumbled blindly on, hunting for a way out, and finally, through webs of twisted branches, caught sight of a rift in the trees where the unbroken lightning showed open country.

He rushed to the edge of the woods and then hesitated whether or not to cross the fields and try to reach the shelter of the little house marked by a light far down the valley.

It was only half past five, but he could see scarcely ten steps before him, except when the lightning made everything vivid and grotesque for great sweeps around.
Suddenly a strange sound fell on his ears.

It was a song, in a low, husky voice, a girl's voice, and whoever was singing was very close to him.