THE BOYS GO TO ASSIST THEIR FRIENDS--PAUL AND HARRY ENTER THE HOUSE
THROUGH THE ROOF--ALARM OF THE FAMILY--FEARS OF THE RIVER RISING--PAUL
SETS OFF TO OBTAIN PROVISIONS.
Paul and Harry, who had run on first, kept knocking and knocking at the
door, and shouting at the top of their voices, but the creaking of the
verandah posts, the rattling of the shingles on the roof, the continuous
roar of the thunder, and the howling of the wind among the trees,
completely drowned their voices. They ran round to try and find an
entrance by one of the windows or back door, but the shutters were all
closed. At length Mr Hayward and Reggy came up, but they were not more
successful in making the inmates hear when they knocked and shouted at
the front door. Harry proposed climbing up and dropping down through
the opening in the roof. A large portion of the verandah had been torn
away, but the beams remained.
"You forget, Harry," shouted Paul in his ear, "we may reach the roof,
but how shall we get down without the risk of breaking our legs over the
fragments which may have fallen in, or the tables and chairs? Stay a
moment! There's a rope in the harness room, and if that has not been
blown away I'll get it."
Paul recollecting where he had last seen the rope, was able to lay his
hand on it, even in the dark. He soon groped his way back.
Harry having proposed the expedition, climbed up first, Paul handing him
the rope. He soon reached a rafter, and lowering the rope until he knew
that it touched the ground, he fastened it securely, and at once
descended, followed by Paul. They had dropped into their own bedroom,
which they had given up to Hector; after feeling about, however, they
decided he was not there. Neither were Rob nor Edgar. They then groped
their way along the passage at the back of the house, to the
sitting-room end. During a momentary lull of the storm they thought
they heard voices. On opening the door, they presented themselves to
the astonished eyes of their family.
Mr Berrington, aided by Mrs Hugh and Miss Saville, was endeavouring to
calm the fears of his wife and elder daughters, who were well nigh in
hysterics, while Mary and Janet were attending to the children--who,
poor little things, were naturally very much frightened. Hector, who
had got his hand wet, was crying out that he had been bitten by a
scorpion, forgetting how he had been stung by a nettle the previous
morning. The captain, meantime, was doing his best to keep the windows
closed, with the assistance of Biddy, who was bringing him such pieces
of wood as she could find to nail up against them, for they threatened
to give way, when the wind would have blown out the only lamp which was
burning on the table in the centre of the room.
"Where have you boys come from?" asked their father; "I thought all the
doors were shut."
"So they are," shouted Paul, "but we came down through the roof."
"What! were you blown all this way?" asked Mr Berrington, looking up.
"Not exactly," answered Harry, "we came on our legs."
"Has your hut been blown down?" asked their father.
"The best part of it, on a night like this--the top has," answered
Harry.
Paul then explained that Mr Hayward and Reggy were all this time
waiting outside, not knowing how to get in. The captain would not let
them open the door, however, without his assistance, and they all three
accordingly repaired to it.
"Are you still there?" shouted Harry.