A RACE WITH A WATERSPOUT. 81 



The doctor and Harry had gained on the 

 others, and had become so completely absorbed 

 in the treasures before them that they were ut- 

 terly oblivious to their surroundings. They had 

 almost reached an old fishing schooner that had 

 been hauled up, when they heard a shout, and, 

 looking back, saw a very unusual spectacle. 

 Tom and Dick, who had lingered behind, were 

 now rushing along the beach as if for their lives, 

 while, not a hundred yards behind them, run- 

 ning parallel with the key, towered a huge water- 

 spout, its top lost in the clouds. With gigantic 

 curve it came surging on, hissing like a steam- 

 engine, and tearing up the shallow bottom at a 

 terrible rate. A race with a water-spout is not 

 a pleasant pastime. It ran so close upon them 

 that its drippings were like a heavy rain. Thus 

 far they had kept even with it, but it now 

 surged ahead, and, changing its direction, headed 

 for the old schooner on the key. Tom and Dick 

 were safe, but Harry and the doctor appeared 

 to be in danger.* 



* I ran with this spout for several hundred yards, and had diffi- 

 culty in keeping apace with it. The noise was like that made by a 



