iting our summons;
but they were restrained by his will, and by his will we were saved.
Will those timbers which bore us here so miraculously hold together till
morning? I should think not. What are the iron bolts and fastenings of
weak man, compared with the force of God's elements: they will snap as
yarns; and by to-morrow's dawn, the fragments of the stout ship will be
washing and tossing on the wild surf. Well, it will be a kindness to
us, for the waters will perform the labour which we could not; they will
break up the timbers for our use, and throw on shore from the hold those
articles which we could not reach with our little strength."

A sharp flash of lightning struck upon the old man's eyes, and
obstructed his vision for the moment. "The storm will soon be at its
height," thought he; "I will watch the tents, and see how they stand up
against its force." Then the rain came pattering down, and the wind
howled louder than before. In a minute or two the darkness became so
intense that he could hardly find his way back to the tents. He turned
round, but could not see, for he was blinded by the heavy rain. As
nothing could be done, he went into the tent and sheltered himself from
the storm, although he would not lie down, lest his services might be
required. The others had retired to bed, but with the exception of
Tommy and the children, they had not taken off their clothes.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

The storm now raged furiously, the lightning was accompanied by loud
peals of thunder, and the children awoke and cried with fright, till
they were hushed to sleep again. The wind howled as it pressed with all
its violence against the tents, while the rain poured off in torrents.
One moment the canvas of the tents would bulge in, and the cords which
held it strain and crack; at another, an eddy of wind would force out
the canvas, which would flap and flap, while the rain found many an
entrance. The tent in which Mrs Seagrave and the children reposed was
on the outside of the others, and therefore the most exposed. About
midnight the wind burst on them with greater violence than before. A
loud crash was heard by Ready and Mr Seagrave, followed by the shrieks
of Mrs Seagrave and Juno; the pegs of the tent had given way, and the
inmates were exposed to the fury of the elements. Ready rushed out,
followed by Mr Seagrave and William. So strong was the wind and
beating rain, and such was the darkness, that it w