This, however, was not all;--the rain came down in torrents, and was battered against his person with such force that in a few moments he was drenched to the skin.

So far, it was wind and rain--dreadful and tempestuous as they were.

The storm, however, was only half opened.

Distant flashes of lightning and sullen growls of thunder proceeded from the cloud masses to the right, but it was obvious that the thunderings above them were only commencing their deep and terrible pealings.

In a short time they increased in violence and fury, and resembled, in fact, a West Indian hurricane more than those storms which are peculiar to our milder climates.