The rain had entirely ceased, nor
was there any lightning, but the storm was most tremendous, blowing in
gusts, and veering round from east to north with the speed of thought.
The force of the gale, however, gradually declined, until the wind
subsided altogether, and every thing became quite still. The low
murmured conversation of the poor negroes who environed us, was heard
distinctly; the hard breathing of the sleeping children could even be
distinguished. But I was by no means sure that the hurricane was over,
and Don Ricardo and the rest seemed to think as I did, for there was not
a word interchanged between us for some time.
"Do you hear that?" at length said Aaron Bang, as a low moaning sound
rose wailing into the night air. It approached and grew louder.
"The voice of the approaching tempest amongst the higher branches of the
trees," said the Captain.
The rushing noise overhead increased, but still all was so calm where we
sat, that you could have heard a pin drop. Poo, thought I, it has
passed over us after all--no fear now, when one reflects how completely
sheltered we are. Suddenly, however, the lights in the room where the
body lay were blown out, and the roof groaned and creaked as if it had
been the bulkheads of a ship in a tempestuous sea.
"We shall have to cut and run from this anchorage presently, after all,"
said I; "the house will never hold on till morning."
The words were scarcely out of my mouth, when, as if a thunderbolt had
struck it, one of the windows in the hall was driven in with a roar, as
if the Falls of Niagara had been pouring overhead, and the tempest
having thus forced an entrance, the roof of that part of the house where
we sat was blown up, as if by gunpowder--ay, in the twinkling of an eye;
and there we were with the bare walls, and the angry heaven overhead,
and the rain descending in bucketfuls.
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