on a wide point of land, around which the Miramichi made an unusually
bold sweep. Micah's Grove partly skirted it on the north.

From the Grove to the river, the forest-trees had been cleared,
leaving the open space dotted with the houses of the settlers. The
fire pressed steadily on toward the Grove. The destruction of that
forest fane, consecrated so recently to the worship of God, and the
burning of their homes and earthly goods seemed inevitable. The
people, with pale, excited faces, awaited this heart-rending
spectacle.

Just at this moment, the tornado, coming from the North, with terrific
fury, drawing flames, trees, and every movable object in its wake,
whirling forward with gigantic power, suddenly turned in its path,
veered towards the east, swept past the Grove and past the settlement,
leaving them wholly untouched, and took its destructive course onward
to the ocean. The people were dumb with amazement. Ruin had seemed so
sure that they scarcely trusted the evidence of their senses.

They dared not even think they had been saved from so much misery. For
a time, not a word was uttered, not a muscle moved.

Mr. Mummychog was the first to-recover his voice.

"'Tis a maracle! and nuthin' else", he exclaimed, "and we've jest got
to thank Captin' Norton for it. He's been a prayin' ut we might be
past by, all 'long and 'tis likely the Lord has heerd him. 'Tain't on
eour own acceounts, my worthy feller-sinners, that we've been spared.
Mind ye remember _that_".

The people in their joy gathered around the missionary, and united
with Micah, in acknowledging their belief, that his prayers had
averted from them this great calamity. For a moment, their attention
was distracted from the still raging horrors of the scene by the sense
of relief from threatened danger.

It was during this brief lull of intense anxiety and expectation, that
our friends first became aware of the absence of Mr. Somers. They had
supposed, of course, that he was standing somewhere among the groups
of people, his attention riveted, like their own, upon the scene
before them. Adele first woke to the consciousness that he was not
with them.

She turned her head and explored with earnest gaze the people around.
She could see distinctly by the intense red light, nearly every
countenance there, but did not recognize that of Mr. Somers. A painful
anxiety immediately seized her, which she strove in vain to conceal.
She approached near where Mr.