152 MY FIRST AND LAST STEEPLE-CHASE 



We were all so much engaged laying out the 

 tables, that the increasing darkness of the day was 

 scarcely remarked until a vivid flash of lightning, 

 followed by a loud peal of thunder which broke 

 directly overhead, made the boldest pause for a 

 moment in his occupation. The storm, which had 

 gone down considerably, burst forth again worse 

 than ever, the tent -pole swayed to and fro like a 

 fishing-rod, and the fir-tree we had lashed along- 

 side for additional security threatened every mo- 

 ment to come down by the run. Matters were 

 beginning to look serious, when Dick, snatching a 

 carving-knife from the table, cut an opening in the 

 wall of the tent, through which we all bolted into 

 the open air. Hardly had we got clear of the 

 ropes, when the tent-pole snapped, the pegs gave 

 way, the roof flew off down the wind, and with a 

 crash of broken glass, heard distinctly above the 

 howling of the wind and sea, the whole fabric came 

 to the ground, burying all our materials and the 

 greater part of the supper in the ruins. 



All was over now, — " the stars in their courses " 

 had fought against us. There was no use in con- 

 tending against fate and the elements ; so, after 

 seeing the girls safe in shelter, and leaving the 

 dragoons to test the merits of Dick's cold punch, I 

 filled my largest pipe with the strongest cavendish, 



