152 THE STORY-BOOK OF SCIENCE 



tunate that several kinds of creatures, little birds 

 especially, come to our aid in this war to the death 

 between man and the caterpillar; otherwise the 

 worm, stronger than man on account of its infinite 

 number, would ravage our crops. But we will talk 

 of the little birds another time ; the weather is threat- 

 ening, we must go." 



See how the reddish mist in the south, thicker and 

 darker every moment, has become a large black cloud 

 visibly invading the still clear part of the sky. Wind 

 precedes it, bending the tops of the pines like a field 

 of grain. There rises from the soil that odor of dust 

 which the dry earth gives forth at the beginning 

 of a storm. 



"We must not think of starting now," cautioned 

 Uncle Paul. ' ' The storm is coming ; it will be upon 

 us in a few minutes. Let us hurry and find shelter. " 



Bain forms in the distance like a dim curtain ex- 

 tending clear across the sky. The sheet of water ad- 

 vances rapidly; it would beat the fastest racing 

 horse. It is coming, it has come. Violent flashes of 

 lightning furrow it, thunder roars in its depths. 



At a clap of thunder heavier than the others Jules 

 starts. "Let us stay here, Uncle, " says the fright- 

 ened child; "let us stay under this big bushy pine. 

 It doesn't rain here under cover. " 



"No, my child," replies his uncle, who perceives 

 that they are in the very heart of the storm; "let us 

 get away from this dangerous tree." 



And, taking Jules by the hand, he leads him hastily 

 through the hail and rain. Beyond the wood Uncle 

 Paul knows of an excavation hollowed out in the 



