"Stand by to close the door again," said the captain, and slightly
opening it, in rushed Reggy and Mr Hayward, when the whole party,
pressing hard, once more closed it, though the blast which came in sent
several of the articles of furniture rattling down.
"How, in the name of wonder, did you get in?" exclaimed Reggy, when he
found Paul and Harry inside.
He could scarcely believe it when they told him how they had managed to
find an entrance. The door being secured, they hastened back to the
sitting-room. It was no easy matter to carry on a conversation amid the
wild uproar, though the captain, accustomed to storms at sea, made
himself heard. He could not tell how much of the roof had gone, for,
even through a small aperture the rain made its way in torrents. He was
thankful that any part remained which could afford them shelter. Paul
could give no account of how it fared with Sandy and the men at the
stock-yard. Mr Hayward volunteered to go back and ascertain, but the
captain would not allow this. "You ran risk enough in coming, and I am
thankful that you have escaped," he said.
Nothing more could now be done until daylight, as the whole house was in
darkness, for as soon as the lamp was lighted in any part, except in the
sitting-room, it was blown out again by the wind which made its way
through the roof. The captain did not express his fears to the rest of
the party, with the exception of Mr Hayward and Paul, but his chief
anxiety was about the river. On listening at the side of the house
nearest to it, they could hear the water rushing along its hitherto dry
bed, evidently at headlong speed. Mr Hayward, ever ready to assist,
offered to go out and ascertain how high it had risen.
"We may remain here in safety at present, I trust," said Captain
Berrington: "it is still a dozen feet below us, probably more, and
unless it should rise much higher, we should only unnecessarily expose
the ladies to this tremendous rain and the fearful danger of falling
branches were we to quit the house. We must, however, keep a watch upon
it and escape in time."
Several terrific blasts came, which threatened to blow down the house,
or tear off the whole roof. The wind, after the last, began to lull,
and the rain ceased. The house, with the exception of the sitting-room,
was in such a condition that the family were compelled to remain in that
apartment. The night wore slowly away, and every one was thankful when
daylight at last returned. Sad indeed was the havoc which had been
committed by the tempest; but the captain was thankful that none of the
family had been injured, and not a word of complaint escaped him.
No time was lost in commencing to repair the damages. While Biddy was
trying to get her kitchen in order and light a fire, Janet and Mary,
with pails and mops, assisted by their cousins, were busily employed in
"swabbing decks," as their father called it, and hanging up the wet
bedding to dry.
The captain and his brother, with Mr Hayward, got the carpenter's
tools, and commenced repairing the roof, while the younger boys
collected all the shingles they could find. Paul, Harry, and Reggy
started off to the stock-yards, to see how things fared there, and to
assist Sandy and the men if necessary. Before going they took a glance
at the river. Reggy could scarcely believe that it was the same stream
he had seen the day before, as it now went foaming and rushing by,
carrying huge trunks of trees and dead cattle in its vortex, while it
appeared four times as broad as before.
"We have often had it as high as this in a rainy season, although it has
seldom risen so high at other times," said Paul.
Hector declared that his hand hurt him too much to allow him to do
anything, although he at length condescended, when summoned by his
sisters, to try and put his own room in order.
As the lads went along, they observed the havoc which had been produced
by the storm. Several tall trees had been blown down, others denuded of
their branches. The maize was beaten to the ground, the kitchen-garden
had suffered greatly, and flower-blossoms had everywhere been torn off,
while many of the fruit-trees were destroyed.
"It cannot be helped," said Paul, "happily, things grow here very
rapidly, and in a short time we shall have all to rights again."
Reginald thought Paul a great philosopher, but he only spoke the truth.
They met Sandy coming to ask how the family had fared; he reported more
favourably of the stock-yard than Paul had expected. A portion of the
roof of some of the buildings had been blown off; but the strong fences
intended to resist the charge of a fierce bull or angry heifer had
withstood the strongest blasts.
"We ken weel where our weak points are," observed Sandy; "we will soon
get things to rights."
Every one had enough to do during that and several following days. The
buildings were re-roofed, the fallen trees were sawn through and dragged
out of the way to be split up or burned. The garden fences were
repaired, and everything else put to rights. Meantime the river had
fallen almost to its usual level, though the water-holes were united,
and it now ran in a regular current. The captain's chief regret was for
his maize crop; nothing could restore that, and he expected to obtain
scarcely a quarter of the produce he had looked for. It would be
necessary, therefore, to dispatch the drays some hundreds of miles to
obtain flour, and this must be done as soon as possible, before the
regular rainy season should set in. It would not last long, but during
that time many of the creeks would be impassable, and other places might
be flooded.
There was so much to be done that Captain Berrington did not wish to go
himself, and though Paul was always very useful at home, he determined
to send him in charge of the party. Paul would have liked to take
either Harry or Reggy, but they now worked so well together that his
father was unwilling to separate them, besides which they were able to
do a great deal of work, and had in addition to attend some hours in the
day to their studies, as Mr Hayward had resumed his duties as tutor,
the girls, as well as the boys, regularly attending the school.
Paul could not but feel proud at being so thoroughly trusted by his
father, and he hoped to perform his commission well; although he would
gladly have had a companion in his long and tedious journey.
The men who accompanied him had been some time in the captain's employ,
and were considered thoroughly trustworthy. He himself felt much more
anxious about the family. It was not only possible that the blacks
might return and cause them alarm, but he might not obtain flour where
he expected to find it. Although they would not in consequence be
actually in want of food, it would be a considerable privation to have
to go without bread. The captain had also confided to him a project Mr
Berrington and he had in view, of forming a new station further up the
country. They had not, however, fixed on it; but beyond the ranges to
the north-west the captain had heard that a fine region existed, and he
proposed forming a party to explore it. He had promised Paul that he
should go, and told him that he proposed setting off at the termination
of the rainy season. Paul, having bid farewell to his family,
accompanied by Harry and Reggy, who were going to see him a few miles on
the way, rode after the drays, which had started at daybreak that
morning.
The two boys returned towards evening, reporting all well. Paul was
much missed; even Hector complained that he had not now a companion to
talk to. Although Harry and Reggy were merry fellows, it was generally
acknowledged that they were not equal to Paul.
"I trust we shall have him back soon," said his mother, after he had
been gone some time; "although I wish that tidings of him had reached
us."