ll stay to
look after those children in the boat. They are coming now as fast as
they can."

"Can you carry my gun?"

"Certainly. Doctor, I will take that office, if you will stay behind
till the boat gets to land."

"Thank you--it is better arranged the other way. The storm will be upon
us before the ladies get to the shore, I fear."

"Then they had better take the other route."

Mr. Randolph in haste despatched one of the men to recall the fleeing
members of the party, and bring them, round by the other road to the
house. But before that, the doctor had put Daisy in her chair, and with
Logan at the other end of it had set off to reach shelter. It grew very
dark; and it was sultrily still in the woods. Not a leaf trembled on its
stem. The steps of the two chair-bearers sounded ominously in the entire
hush of everything. The gloom still deepened. The doctor and Logan with
swift, steady strides carried the chair along at a goodly rate; not as
it had come in the morning. In the midst of this, and after it had gone
on some time in silence, Daisy twisted herself round to look at the
doctor and give him a smile.

"You do not seem concerned, Daisy, in the view of getting wet?"

"Why no," said Daisy twisting round, again, "it is nice. I am only sorry
for the people who are so frightened."

"What is nice? getting wet?"

"O no," said Daisy. "Maybe I shall not get wet--you go so fast."

But at this moment there came a nearer growl of thunder, and the leaves
in the tops of the trees rustled as if a breath had passed over them.
Then were still.

"Can you mend your pace, Logan?" said the doctor.

"Ay, sir!"--came in the deep, cheery utterance of Logan's Scotch voice.

"Hold fast, Daisy"--said the doctor; and the two chair-bearers changed
their pace for a swinging trot. It was needful to hold on now indeed,
for this gait jolted the chair a good deal; but it got over the ground,
and Daisy found it excessively amusing. They passed the thick-standing
tree stems in quick succession now; the rocks uprising from the side of
the path were left behind one after another; they reached the sharp bend
in the road; and keeping up the swinging trot with a steadiness which
shewed good wind on the part of both the chair-bearers, at last the
little house where Sam had been left hove in view. Time it was; full
time. One and another sough of the wind had bowed the tree-tops with a
token of what was coming; one and another bright flash o