y branches, many of considerable size.

"I must advise you, Miss Ferris, to take shelter within the house," said
Archie, "for one of those branches might injure you severely. Even the
verandah itself may be blown away. You have little conception of the
power of a West Indian hurricane."

As Ellen was hurrying into the house she met her father coming to look
for her.

"I am afraid we are going to have a violent storm, of which this wind is
only the precursor," he said. "We must seek for safety in the strongest
part of the house; it will not be safe to remain in the open air, or
even near the window, through which a branch or any other object may be
blown."

Ellen had accompanied her father to the dining-hall, which, being in the
centre of the house, was less exposed to danger than any other part of
the building. So loudly did the wind roar that even there it was
necessary to speak in a high tone to be heard.

"Oh, what will become of the _Ouzel Galley_ if she is caught in this
fearful gale!" exclaimed Ellen.

"She has by this time, I hope, gained a good offing; if the wind holds
as it now does, she will be able to run before it till she is out of
danger," answered Mr Ferris.

As the evening was now drawing rapidly on, the manager and book-keepers
came in from the works in the different parts of the estate. They all
looked somewhat anxious, though no damage had yet been done, and a hope
was entertained that it was not going to be anything serious after all.
Their spirits revived when suddenly the wind ceased and the atmosphere
became as clear as usual. Two or three of them had, however, again to
go out; and on their return they reported that the sky was once more
overcast, and that it was lightening in all quarters. Presently the
rain came down in true tropical fashion, again to stop and again to go
on with greater energy than before. Sometimes it was perfectly calm,
but the lightning continued darting forth from the sky with awful
grandeur; sometimes the whole upper regions of the air were illuminated
by incessant flashes, but the quivering sheet of blazing fire was far
surpassed in brilliancy by the electric fluid which was exploding in
every direction. Ellen and her father and young Sandys were standing as
near one of the windows as they could venture, when they saw a meteor of
deep red hue and globular form descending perpendicularly from an
enormous height. As it approached the earth its motion appe