The sound increased till, from a hiss it became a rush, then by rapid degrees a tremendous roar, and then, as if in an instant the hurricane was upon them, the rain came down in sheets, the sound swept by the rocks, and as the lightning flashed Mark became aware of the fact that the air looked thick and dense and as if filled by the spray from off the sea.
But the storm swept over from behind, so that though the water poured down from all round the rock beneath which they were sheltered none was driven in.
To sleep was out of the question had the watcher felt disposed, for he was bound to confess that it was impossible for help to come to him in the midst of such a terrific deluge.

Meanwhile as the rain came down in a veritable water-spout, hissing angrily as if a myriad of serpents were in the air, the lightning flashed and the thunder roared so incessantly that it became almost a continual peal.
At the best of times, and in company, the storm would have been attended by feelings of awe; but now, comparatively speaking, alone in that solitude with the deafening din and the terrible weird glare of the lightning flashing through the rain, Mark could not help for the second time that day a strange feeling of dread come upon him with chilling force.
Just when the storm was at its worst there was a soft whining sound on his right, and as he sat up and listened in that direction a cold nose touched his hand, and Bruff thrust his head into his master's lap, uttering a low snuffling sound indicative of content.
Almost at the same moment, as the thunder paused for a moment, came a whimpering chattering from his left, and a little thin hand caught hold of him.
"Why, Jack, old fellow, frightened ?" he said, as he passed his arm round the human-looking little animal.
"Chick, chack!" cried Jack, and accepting the invitation he huddled up close to Mark's breast, tucking his nose under his arm, and directly after the lad could feel that both the thin little arms were clinging to him tightly.
"No wonder I feel a bit afraid," he said to himself, "if they wake up and come to me for protection." And with something of a warm glow at his heart as he felt himself occupying the position of protector, he sat there waiting for the storm to cease, the danger dying out of his mind, his head drooping down upon his chest, and at last Mark and his two strange bed-fellows were fast asleep, with the thunder roaring to them its deep-toned lullaby till it slowly died away.
Bruff was the first to wake and begin barking loudly, for Mark to start up in wonder, perfectly ignorant of where he was.

It was as dark as ever, but the rain had ceased, the lightning merely flashed now and then, and there was a delicious sensation of cool freshness in the air which came most gratefully to the senses.
"Where am I ?" thought Mark, "and what does this mean ?" for he had been awakened by the dog's barking from one of those heavy dreamless sleeps where the mind refuses to open and take in facts as quickly as do the eyes.
The dog barked again more loudly than ever and now rushed from out of the shelving rocks.
"Mark, ahoy! Where are you, lad ?" "Here, father, here!" he shouted, but still wondering what it meant, till he heard the loud thud of approaching feet coming through the darkness, and once more there was a hail.
"Where away, lad ?" Mark ought to have answered, "Three points on your port-bow," but he was not well up in nautical terms in this, his first voyage, and so he simply cried out, "Here!" The result was that in a few minutes the captain, Small, and Billy Widgeon came feeling their way into the hollow.
"Are you all right, my boy ?" "Yes, father." "How dark it is! We were afraid we should miss you.

Strike a light, Small, and let's see." The boatswain struck a match, and while the thin splint burned there was time for the position of all to be observed, and Billy Widgeon immediately placed himself alongside of Jack.
"We started to come to your help directly the major came into camp," said the captain, "but we were driven to take shelter till the storm was over.

I don't believe I was ever in such a downpour before." "How long did you have to wait ?" asked Mark, who felt guilty at having been to sleep.
"Six hours at least," said the captain.