At the end of one of these, out of the sun’s rays, the old man lay propped up among cushions, dreaming, or perhaps only conscious, of the refreshing breeze that came and went away again.  But he awoke at the sound of their steps on the sanded paths, and raised his stick as a sign to them to come to him, and, seeing that he wished to speak, Joseph leaned over his chair, putting his ear close to his father’s face, for Dan’s speech was still thick and often inarticulate.  Thou wast nearly going down in the storm, he said, and Joseph could hardly believe that he heard rightly, for what could his father know of the storm on the lake, he being in a deep swoon at the time beyond the reach of words.  He asked his father who had told him of the storm, but Dan could say no more than that a voice had told him that there was a great storm upon the lake and that Joseph was in it.  Miracle upon miracle!  Joseph cried, and he related his escape from shipwreck; how when coming in Peter’s boat from the opposite shores the wind had risen, carrying the lake in showers over the boat till all were wetted to their skins.  But, unmindful of these showers, Jesus had continued his teaching, even after a great wave wrenched away a plank or part of one.  Master, if the boat be not staunched we perish, Peter said, for which Jesus rebuked Peter and called them all to come forward and kneel closer about him.  Kneel, he said, your faces towards me, and forget the plank and remember your sins.  We could not do else but as we were bidden, and we all knelt about him, our thoughts fixed as well as we were able to fix them on our sins, but the water was coming into the boat all the while, and in the midst of our prayers we said:  in another moment we perish if he stay not the wind and waves.  We thought that he would stand up in the bow and command, but he remained seated, and continued to teach us, but the wind lulled all the same, and when we looked round the boat was staunch again, and we made the wharf at Capernaum easily.

Ecanus, who was a man of little faith, asked Joseph if he had seen anybody put his hand to the plank and restore it to its place, and Joseph answered that all were grouped round the Master praying, and that none had fallen away from the group.  But there were some in the boat that saw a little angel speeding over the waves.  Philip saw both wings and the angel’s feet, but I had only a glimpse.  If you would only let me bring him to you——­ But, reading his father’s face, Joseph continued:  if you haven’t faith, Father, he couldn’t do anything for thee.  Father, let me bring him.  This shows no distrust in your power, he interjected suddenly, turning to Ecanus.  Each man has powers given to him; some are physical and some spiritual; some are powerful in one element and some in another.  But no magician that I have met has power over fire and water.  Only those into whom God has descended can command both fire and water alike.  And he related that when they passed through Chorazin and