Then, his pistol being empty, he grasped the barrel with both
hands, and stood ready to use it as a club should the Yara
approach and closer. But now it seemed her turn to feel afraid,
for she paused an instant while he pressed forward, still holding
the pistol above his head, prepared to strike.

In his excitement he had forgotten the river, and it was not till
the cold water touched his feet that he stood still by instinct.
The Yara saw that he was wavering, and suffering herself to sway
gently backwards and forwards on the surface of the river, she
began to sing. The song floated through the trees, now far and
now near; no one could tell whence it came, the whole air seemed
full of it. Alonzo felt his senses going and his will failing.
His arms dropped heavily to his side, but in falling struck
against the sea shell, which, as he had promised Julia, he had
always carried in his coat.

His dimmed mind was just clear enough to remember what she had
said, and with trembling fingers, that were almost powerless to
grasp, he drew it out. As he did so the song grew sweeter and
more tender than before, but he shut his ears to it and bent his
head over the shell. Out of its depths arose the voice of Julia
singing to him as she had sung when she gave him the shell, and
though the notes sounded faint at first, they swelled louder and
louder till the mist which had gathered about him was blown away.

Then he raised his head, feeling that he had been through strange
places, where he could never wander any more; and he held himself
erect and strong, and looked about him. Nothing was to be seen