Page:Barbour--Joan of the ilsand.djvu/280

268 "You mustn't let me enter into your plans," she said. "Do the best you can to straighten out the tangle. There are some cousins of ours living in Melbourne. If necessary I could go and stay with them temporarily."

"I'm sorry it's such a mess, Joan," her brother said. "I'll get on my financial feet again before long, though."

The devastating storm was at its worst during the first hour, but it continued intermittently throughout the day, and the rain fell almost in solid sheets during the following night, adding further ruin to the plantation. Next morning Keith left the bungalow to make a survey of the damage, and it did not take long to ascertain that their worst fears had been realized. The hurricane had torn a great path right across the island, levelling everything in its way, and the trees that had not actually been uprooted were so much damaged that nothing less than disaster had overtaken the planter of Tao Tao.

"My advice to you," Keith said to Chester on his return, "is to clear out of here, and forget you ever saw the place, the moment the storm subsides and you feel well enough to travel. The plantation is like the little boy's apple: there ain't going to be no core."

"Yes, I fancy I'm through; and I'm ready to travel as soon as we can get off. It'll take us a