nd I never expected to see the next morning's sun. I
do not think it was the fearful force of the wind which so terrified me
into a state of helplessness as the diabolical clamour--the clashing
and tearing and rending asunder of the trees, accompanied by a prolonged
howling mingled with a deep droning hum like one sometimes hears when a
volcano is in eruption--and, in a minor key, the dulled roaring of the
surf as the mighty seas swept over the outer reef, and broke over the
weather shore with such tremendous force that the island seemed to
tremble to its very foundations.

Unable to make himself heard in the pandemonium roaring around us, Yorke
turned to me, and gripping me by one hand, and shielding his eyes with
the other from the hurtling showers of sand and pebbles which threatened
to cut our faces to pieces, he managed to drag me along the beach to a
low ledge of coral rocks, under the shelter of which we were protected
from the fury of the wind, and, in a measure, safe from flying branches,
though all along the beach coco-palms were being torn up by the roots,
or their lofty crowns cut off as if they were no stronger than a dahlia
or some such weakly plant.

As we crouched on the sand under the ledge of rock, a terrific but
welcome downpour of rain fell, and we were able to satisfy our thirst
by pressing our mouths to crevices in the rock overhead. But we were
not long allowed to remain undisturbed in our shelter, for, although the
tide was on the ebb, the enormous influx of water, driven over the
reef by the violence of the wind, so swelled the lagoon that we had to
abandon our refuge and crawl on our hands and knees up over the bank,
and thence into the thorny scrub, where we were at least safe from
falling trees, there being none near us.

"I must try and get our rifles before it is too late," shouted Yorke
in my ear. "I know the place, but if I don't get there pretty quick,
I shall never be able to recognise it. Stay where you are until I get
back, then we'll try and find a better camping place before night comes
on--if this little tin-pot island isn't blown out of the water over on
to New Guinea in the meantime."

By this time I was beginning to get some courage, and to feel ashamed of
myself; so, as soon as Yorke had crept out of the scrub, I braced
myself up, and taking out my sheath knife, began to cut away the thorny
branches, and pull up by the roots some of the scrub around me, so as
to make more r