As if all the power of the winds were pushing and piling behind, it rolled ponderously across the sky.

A red flare burned out instantaneously, flashed from the west to east, and died.

Then from the deepest black of the purple cloud burst a boom.

It was like the bowling of a huge boulder along the crags and ramparts, and seemed to roll on and fall into the valley to bound and bang and boom from cliff to cliff.
"Oh!" cried Bess, with her hands over her ears.

"What did I tell you ?" "Why, Bess, be reasonable!" said Venters.
"I'm a coward." "Not quite that, I hope.