THE STORM IN THE VALLEY.
Judging from appearances, when they entered the new cabin of the
moonlighters, Ralph concluded that George had said some hard things to
Bob because of the part he had obliged him to play. When the two went in
to get the few hours of sleep they needed so sadly, for they had been
awake during all of the previous night, no one spoke. They were all
having what Ralph afterward described as a grand sulking match; but
neither one of their guests paid the slightest attention to their ill
humor.
It was then very late in the night, and, tired as each one was, it was
but a few moments before the camp was in a state of complete repose,
from which neither moonlighter, engineer nor student awakened until the
sun had been looking in upon them nearly an hour.
If Bob had been cross the previous evening, his sleep had restored him
to his usual good humor, and he greeted Ralph and George with the
cheeriest of smiles.
"I say, old fellow," he began, when Harnett returned from making his
toilet at the brook-side, "I realize that we played you a dirty kind of
a trick in using your team as we did last night; but at the time I was
so anxious to get everything over here all right that I did not stop to
think about it. Of course, I can't undo what has been done, but if any
money trouble comes to you because of last night's work, neither you nor
Gurney shall lose a cent. Try to forget it, won't you, George? Shake
hands with me, and say that you will."
Very few could withstand Bob Hubbard when he spoke as he did then, and
Harnett's anger began to vanish immediately his moonlighting friend
spoke.
"We'll say no more about it, Bob; and I'll believe you wouldn't have
done such a thing to me if you had taken time to think it over," replied
George, as he shook hands not only with Bob, but with the other two.
"Now, Gurney, come right up, and say that you bear no grudge against
Jim. He knows that you were in the right when you insisted on having the
horses cared for, and he would have known it last night if he hadn't got
excited, as he always does when anything is up."
Jim came up with outstretched hand as Bob spoke, and in a few moments
the party were friendly once more, although the determination which
Ralph and George had formed, relative to not visiting the moonlighters
in their haunts again, was still as strong as ever.
With the provisions they had on hand, and the fish that had been caught
the day before, Pete served up such a breakfast as would have tempted
an epicure, and it may be imagined with what zest these hungry boys
attacked it.
Bob and his party intended to remain where they were during that day, at
least, for it would be necessary to do many things to the shanty before
it would be even a secure hiding-place for their goods, and although
they urged that their visitors remain with them, George was still firm
in his determination to return to the Kenniston farm as soon as he had
finished breakfast.
It was not until after Bob had exhausted every other argument in vain
that he said:
"I think it would be much better, George, if you should stay here
to-day, and give the people a chance to cool off in regard to last
night's proceedings. If you go through Sawyer this morning, they
may make it disagreeable for you."
"That is one reason why I am determined to go at once. If any trouble is
to come of your drive, I want it over as soon as possible, and the
sooner I show myself in Sawyer, the more satisfied I shall feel."
"But the chances are that the matter will drop through if you keep out
of sight for a day or two," persisted Bob, almost entreatingly.
"And I don't want it to drop through. If they propose to make any
trouble, I prefer to meet them rather than wait around in the hope that
it will be forgotten. I am obliged to earn my living, and from these
people here, for the time being. Therefore, they will be doing me a very
great favor if they find out exactly how far I am responsible for last
night's work."
It was useless to attempt to persuade George to do other than that which
he had decided upon, and Bob recognized that fact. He said nothing more
against the departure of his guests, but did all in his power to aid
them in getting ready for the journey.
The horses did not appear to be affected in the least by their hard
drive on the previous night, and this, more than anything else, caused
George to feel less hard toward his friends, the moonlighters.
It was nine o'clock in the morning before Ralph and George were ready to
set out, and as they were starting, Bob called out:
"Remember, we shall stand whatever my drive may cost you, and this
evening we will meet you at home."
There was a feeling of positive relief in Ralph's heart when they drove
out into the road, the trees behind shutting out the moonlighters from
view. It was as if he had been suffering from some disagreeable
nightmare, and he would have been thankful it was ended if it was not
for the awakening in the form of driving through Sawyer, liable to be
arrested at any moment.
"George," he asked, at length, "do you really think that what was done
last night will injure your business prospects?"
"I feel so certain of it that I shall begin to make preparations to
leave here as soon as I finish what I have on hand. I certainly know
that I would not employ a man who would deliberately assist in carrying
a large quantity of glycerine through a town, and at the same time drive
in the most reckless manner."
"But you can prove that you were not with the party, and that you knew
nothing of what was being done."
"Yes, I can prove that, if they give me the opportunity, and I am now in
the position of a man who longs most ardently to be arrested, but yet
who does not dare to appear too eager about it."
"I can't say that I want to be arrested," said Ralph, dubiously, "for
father and mother would think I had been doing something terrible; but I
would be perfectly willing to stand it if it would do you any good."
"It is about the only thing that can do me any good," replied George,
decidedly; and then he added, quickly: "But we won't talk any more about
it. Let us enjoy this ride thoroughly, for we have just escaped from the
moonlighters' den. I can't say, however, that our troubles are entirely
over; for, by the looks of those black clouds, we shall stand a chance
of getting a drenching."
It was as George had said. The sky, which had been cloudless when they
started, was now being obscured by black, angry-looking clouds, which
threatened at any moment to break and pour their burden of water upon
the parched earth.
Had they been riding where no shelter could be found, both the boys
would have been alarmed, for there was every indication of a heavy
shower; but since there were houses along the road in which they could
take shelter at almost any moment, they rode on, determined to get as
near as possible to their destination before the storm burst.
George urged the horses along, hoping that they might reach the town of
Sawyer before the rain came; but in this he was mistaken, for, before
they had ridden five minutes from the time he first spoke, the great
drops that acted as _avant couriers_ to the large body of water,
descended, and the boys had just time to drive under a rude shed before
the storm was upon them.
A vivid flash of lightning, followed immediately by a deafening peal of
thunder, was the prelude to as terrific a thunder-storm as the boys had
ever seen, and, as the rain descended in what seemed to be sheets of
water rather than drops, the lightning flashed almost incessantly, while
the thunder roared until it seemed as if the very earth was shaken.
Even George had never passed a summer in this section of the country
before, and he knew no more than did Ralph the destruction often caused
by the electric current where so much inflammable material is stored.
Without a thought of the possible catastrophe that might occur, they
remained under their apology for a shelter, through which the water
poured in anything but tiny streams, looking out at the majestic
spectacle, fearing only that the wind might throw the frail shed down
upon them.
"Look there!" cried Ralph, as an unusually brilliant flash was seen. "It
almost appeared as if the lightning ran entirely around that oil-tank.
I wonder if those are ever struck?"
"It must make sad work if they are," replied George, thinking for the
first time of such a possibility. "In that tank alone there must be
fully thirty-five thousand barrels of oil, and the conflagration would
be something terrible."
He had hardly ceased speaking, when there came a flash that almost
blinded them as it descended directly on the top of a huge derrick,
crackling and hissing as it came, and in what seemed to be the slightest
possible fraction of time, the air was filled with fragments of the
heavy timbers, while, despite the pouring rain, a sulphurous odor was
perceptible.
The derrick had been struck, and its thousand fragments strewed the
earth in every direction.
"How terrible!" cried Ralph, as he covered his face with is hands in
affright, for never before had he witnessed the terrific force of the
lightning's bolt.
George stood at the door of the shed, restless, regardless alike of the
deluge of water that fell upon him, and of the neighing and stamping of
the frightened horses; he was like one fascinated by the awful majesty
of that which he saw everywhere around him.
His gaze was directed toward the largest oil tank in the valley, while
it seemed as if some will stronger than his own impelled him to look at
this enormous construction of iron, filled with its easily ignited
contents; and as he thus stood, awed into silence, it seemed to him that
the largest cloud was rent entirely asunder, while from its very center
a torrent of fire was poured on to the tank, from which the flames
appeared to leap to meet the shaft from heaven.
In an instant the entire body of oil was a seething mass of flames,
while the very rain seemed to add to their fury. One of the largest
tanks in the valley had been struck, and the destruction threatened
every living thing that could not flee to the mountains from the river
of fire that poured out over the shattered iron sides of the tank.