The appearance of the commander suddenly caught Dolph's attention. He
was short and swarthy, with crisped black hair; blind of one eye, and
lame of one leg--the very commander that he had seen in his dream!
Surprised and aroused, he considered the scene more attentively, and
recalled still further traces of his dream: the appearance of the
vessel, of the river, and of a variety of other objects, accorded with
the imperfect images vaguely rising to recollection.
As he stood musing on these circumstances, the captain suddenly called
out to him in Dutch, "Step on board, young man, or you'll be left
behind!" He was startled by the sum mons; he saw that the sloop was
cast loose, and was actually moving from the pier; it seemed as if he
was actuated by some irresistible impulse; he sprang upon the deck,
and the next moment the sloop was hurried off by the wind and tide.
Dolph's thoughts and feelings were all in tumult and confusion. He had
been strongly worked upon by the events that had recently befallen
him, and could not but think that there was some connexion between his
present situation and his last night's dream. He felt as if he was
under supernatural influence; and he tried to assure himself with an
old and favourite maxim of his, that "one way or other, all would turn
out for the best.
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