Page:Moving Picture Boys and the Flood.djvu/147

Rh about the missing ones, our friends were fairly comfortable. They had put on dry clothing, and sat in the cabin of the boat, discussing the strenuous scenes through which they had recently passed.

A loud crash awakened them all about midnight, no watch having been kept. It sounded like some great explosion, close at hand.

"What was that?" cried Blake, sitting up in his bunk.

He had his answer a second later, for there was a blinding flash, and another booming sound.

"Thunder and lightning!" exclaimed Joe. "It's a storm!"

A moment later there came a deluge of rain, that fairly roared as it struck the deck and awnings of the boat.

"Whew!" exclaimed Blake. "This is fierce! If this keeps up long the flood will exceed its own high-water mark."

"Better take a look at the cable," suggested Mr. Ringold. "We don't want to get adrift in this outburst."

Blake put on a raincoat, and stepped outside. The vivid lightning, and the deafening thunder, kept up, and he was forced to cling to the rail to steady himself against the motion of the craft,