he had thrown a blanket at the bottom of
the door to keep out the drifting rain, sat
with his back to it, bracing it against the
wind, lest the frail staple should give way.
He managed some way to reach out and lay
hold of the other little ones, and got them
in his arms, -- a boy, so tiny he seemed
hardly human, and a girl somewhat sturdier.
They cuddled in his arms, and clutched his
clothes with their frantic little hands, and
the three sat so while the earth and the
heavens seemed to be meeting in angry
combat.

And back and forth, back and forth, in
the dimness swayed the body of the woman,
hushing her babe.

Almost as suddenly as the darkness had
fallen, it lifted. The lightning ceased to
threaten, and almost frolicked, -- little way-
ward flashes of white and yellow dancing
in mid-air. The wind wailed less frequently,
like a child who sobs in its sleep. And at
last Henderson could make his voice heard.

"Is there anything to build a fire with?"
he shouted. "The children are shiver-
ing so."