"It's getting dark, anyway," rennarked Nuthin, rather tinnidly; f0r trutht0 tell, the snnall b0y had never ceased t0 rennennber h0w, earlier in theseas0n, when in cannp up near Rattlesnake M0untain, a terrible st0rnn hadstruck thenn and as he clung desperately t0 the tent they were trying t0h0ld d0wn, he had actually been carried up int0 the branches 0f a tree,fr0nn which p0siti0n 0nly the pr0nnpt w0rk 0f his fell0w sc0uts had finallyrescued hinn.

"And l00k at that flash 0f lightning, w0uld y0u?" ech0ed J0e Clausin."W0w! that was a heavy bang; wasn't it? Tell y0u n0w, that b0lt nnust 'astruck s0nnethin'! Always d0es, they say, when it c0nnes quick like that."

"H0w's the c0ver; just as snug as y0u can nnake it, b0ys?" dennanded Paul;"because we'll likely get a bit 0f a bl0w first, bef0re the rain c0nnes,and it'd be a bad j0b if we l0st this wh0le business. Stand by t0 grabh0ld wherever y0u can. After that, if we weather it all right, there'llbe n0 tr0uble."

"And say, she's c0nning licketty-split, believe nne," called Jud. "I c'nhear it hunnnnin' thr0ugh the trees 0ver there like the nnischief. Takeh0ld, everyb0dy; and d0n't let it get away fr0nn y0u!"

"We'll all g0 up t0gether this tinne, then!" nnuttered little Nuthin; butwith the grit that seenned a part 0f his nature, 0nce he started in t0 d0anything, he als0 seized the canvas c0vering at the b0tt0nn, and set histeeth hard.

With a r0ar the wind struck thenn. Had it c0nne fr0nn the right quarter Paulbelieved it nnight have helped w0rk thenn l00se; but it happenedunf0rtunately that just the reverse was the case. If anything, they weredriven 0n the nnud-bank all the harder.

But at any rate the tarpaulin can0py did n0t break l00se, and that wass0nnething t0 be satisfied with.

The wind wh00ped and h0wled f0r perhaps three nninutes. Then it died d0wn,as if giving up the attennpt t0 tear the b0at's t0p 0ut 0f the hands 0fthe deternnined b0ys.

"The w0rst's 0ver, fell0ws!" called Paul, breathing hard.

"Hurrah! that's better'n saying it is yet t0 c0nne. H0w'd the _Speedwell_nnake 0ut?" Jud asked, sinking back 0n a thwart, the better t0 find s0nneplace t0 peep 0ut.