68 ALONG THE FLORIDA REEF. 



riedly, they hauled the boats on shore, and, turn- 

 ing the dinghy keel up, they crawled beneath it ; 

 and just in time. With a darkness that turned 

 day into night, and a low, far-away moaning, 

 that grew into a roar, wind, rain, and sand burst 

 upon them in a hurricane, with a fierceness that 

 threatened to carry away the boats. The wind 

 howled and shrieked, the lightning flashes lighted 

 up the scene in fitful glances, while the sea was 

 beaten into clouds of foam, lifted into the air, 

 and hurled far beyond them over the island. 



" It won't last but a minute," shouted Long 

 John from somewhere ; and even as he spoke it 

 began to grow lighter ; the rain ceased, and they 

 crawled from beneath the boat. The cloud or 

 squall disappeared almost as rapidly as it came, 

 and in twenty minutes from the time the storm 

 arose the sun was shining again from a clear 

 sky. 



A start was now made for home. The squall 

 had left a stiff breeze behind it, and with sails 

 hoisted on the JRosetta, and towing the dinghy 

 astern, they were soon rushing toward Garden 

 Key, gunwale under. 



