In the moments of his death, Peyton Farquhar, sees many strange and unnatural things happen in his imagined escape. Since, as we later find out, Peyton was in the process of dying; I wonder if these things are supposed to have significance. Are they supposed to be a part of his spiritual transition from life to death? Or is it purely natural? In which case it could be either his oxygen starved brain/adrenaline or his emotional longing for escape to his family illustrated in his imagination (the way you can be laying in bed thirsty and dream that you get up to get a drink).
Regardless of what the scientific origin of these visions is, they reflect the author. Maybe this is what Ambrose thought death would be like. He was a sardonic atheist. Was this his idea of the afterlife? Ambrose writes that Peyton thought the strange stars were aligned in a specific order. He also writes,
"--once, twice, and again--he distinctly heard whispers in an unknown tongue."
What is Ambrose Bierce trying to tell us with these 'hallucinations'?
