s.

He had bidden his boys follow him closely, and then with bent head run
forward, Dick and Arthur following as fast as their stiff clumsy garb
would allow; but just as they were half-way and were caught by the full
force of the gale, Arthur, who was last, made a swerve, gave way a
little more and a little more, and then was literally carried shoreward
by the gale in a staggering run, for he had found it impossible to
resist its force.

"Don't it blow!" panted Dick. "Lean your head over towards it, Taff,
and then it won't cut your face. Come along."

He spoke loudly, but every word was swept away by the wind; and if
sounds do not melt away, his were taken straight over England and the
North Sea to Denmark, and then over the Baltic to the Russ's land.

"Here, give me your hand, Taff," he cried directly after, and turning a
little more he held out his hand to lend his brother a little help.

Confused and deafened as he was by the storm himself, he burst out into
a roar of laughter at the sight of his brother literally running before
the wind in the most comically absurd manner, till, finding a dry spot,
he flung himself down in the soft sand, sad clung there with all his
might while Dick scudded to him and plumped down at his side.

"Here's a game!" he roared into Arthur's ear.

"A game!" faltered the latter; "very--dread--ful--isn't it?"

"No," shouted Dick. "It's all right. Come along. No, no. Turn your
back to it."

"The rain cuts so," panted Arthur.

"'Tain't rain; it's spray. Hook hold tight," cried Dick. "Ahoy!
Coming!" he shouted, wasting his breath, for it was impossible for Mr
Temple to hear. "Here comes father after us. Now then, stoop down and
let's do it. Whoo! Knees."

They threw themselves on their knees to avoid being swept away, for just
then a sudden puff came with such violence that, as Dick afterwards
described the sensation, it was like being pushed with a big ball of
india-rubber.

Mr Temple came with the rush of wind, and as he stopped beside his boys
he confessed that it was as much as he could do to keep his legs.

It was only for a few moments that the storm had such tremendous force.
Then it lulled a little, and taking advantage of the comparative calm,
Mr Temple took hold of his boys' hands, and the three with bended heads
trotted towards the shelter on ahead.

They had not been long under the lee of the pilchard-house before they
saw Will return and stand with Josh