CHAPTER XV
OUT OF THE HURRICANE
With the fickleness of October weather (which is often as freakish asthat of April), the golden afternoon had turned cloudy and raw before thegirls returned home. By nightfall it was raining, and a rising, gustywind had ruffled the ocean into lumpy, foam-crested waves. At seveno'clock the wind had increased to a heavy gale and was steadily growingstronger. The threatened storm, as usual, filled Miss Marcia with nervousforebodings, and even Leslie experienced some uncomfortable apprehensionsduring their supper hour.
At eight o'clock, Phyllis arrived, escorted by Ted. "My!" she exclaimed,shaking the raindrops from her clothes as she stood on the porch, "butthis is going to be a night! Father says the papers have warnings that weshould probably get the tail-end of a West Indian hurricane that washeaded this way, and I guess it has come! It's getting worse everyminute. Have you seen how the tide is rising? Get on your things and comedown to the beach. Ted brought me, because I could hardly stand upagainst the wind. He's going back presently. Come and see how the wateris rising!"
"Oh, hush!" implored Leslie, glancing nervously toward her aunt. "You'veno idea how upset Aunt Marcia is already," she whispered. "She'll bedistracted if she gets an idea there's any danger."
"Forgive me!" returned Phyllis, contritely. "I really didn't think, for amoment. Father says there probably isn't any real danger. The tide hasalmost never risen as far as these bungalows, except in winter; and ifthe worst comes to the worst, we can always get out of them and walkaway. But this threatens to be the worst storm of the kind we've had inyears. Are you coming down to see the water?"
"If Aunt Marcia doesn't mind. But if she's afraid to be left alone, Iwon't."
"Oh, Ted will be here, and we'll just run down for a minute or two. It'sreally a great sight!"
Ted very thoughtfully offered to stay, and the two girls, wrapped to theeyes, pushed through the blinding rain and wind down to where thebreakers were pounding their way up the beach, spreading, when theybroke, farther and farther inland. So terrific was the impact of thewind, that the girls had to turn their backs to it when they wanted tospeak.
"I brought you out here, as much as anything, because I had something tosay," shouted Phyllis, her voice scarcely audible to the girl closebeside her. "If the tide keeps on like this, it will probably wash awaywhat we've hidden by the old log. And probably others who are concernedwith that may be thinking of the same thing. We've got to keep a closewatch. I believe things are going to happen to-night!"
"But don't you think we'd better dig it up ourselves, right away?"suggested Leslie. "We can't very well go out to do it later when it maybe necessary, and surely you want to save it."
"Certainly _not_!" declared Phyllis. "I don't care if it _is_ washedaway. What I want is the fun of seeing the other parties breaking theirnecks to rescue it. If it's washed away they'll think the real articlehas disappeared, and then we'll see what next! Let's take one more lookat the surf and then go back."
They peered out for a moment into the awe-inspiring blackness where anangry ocean was eating into the beach. Then, battling back against thewind, they returned to the house. Ted, having ascertained that there wasno further service he could render, suggested that he had better go backand help his father stop a leak in the roof of Fisherman's Luck, whichhad suddenly proved unseaworthy.
"I'm so glad Phyllis will be with us to-night," Miss Marcia told him,"for I'm very little company for Leslie at a time like this. I get sonervous that I have to take a sedative the doctor has given me foremergencies, and that generally puts me pretty soundly to sleep."
They sat about the open fire after Ted had gone, listening to thecommotion of the elements outside and talking fitfully. Every few momentsMiss Marcia would rise, go to the window, and peer out nervously into thedarkness. Once the telephone-bell rang and every one jumped. Lesliehurried to answer it.
"Oh, it's Aunt Sally Blake!" she exclaimed. "She wants to know how we allare and if we happen to have seen anything of Eileen. She was at thehospital all the afternoon, but she hasn't returned. Aunt Sally 'phonedthe hospital, but they said Miss Ramsay had left three hours ago. She'sterribly worried about her--thinks she may have had an accident in thisstorm. She thought it just possible Eileen might have come on out here. Isaid no, but would call her up later and see if she'd had news."
This latest turn of affairs added in no wise to Miss Marcia's peace ofmind. "Why don't you take your powder now, Aunt Marcia, and go to bed,"Leslie suggested at last. "It's only worrying you to sit up and watchthis. There's no danger, and you might as well go peacefully to sleep andforget it. Phyllis and I will stay up quite a while yet, and if there'sany reason for it, we will wake you."
Miss Marcia herself thought well of the plan and was soon in bed, and,having taken her sleeping-powder, the good lady was shortly fast anddreamlessly asleep, much to the relief of the girls.
"And now let's go into your room and watch," whispered Phyllis. "I'm justas certain as I can be that something is going to happen to-night!"
They arranged themselves, each at a window, Phyllis at the one toward thesea; Leslie facing Curlew's Nest, and began an exciting vigil. With theelectric light switched off, it was so black, both inside and out, thatit would have been difficult to distinguish anything, but with thewindows shut and encrusted with wind-blown sand, it was utterlyimpossible. And when they dared to open them even a crack, the rainpoured in and drenched them. They could do this only at intervals. EvenRags seemed to share the general uneasiness, and could find nocomfortable spot in which to dispose himself, but kept hovering betweenthe two windows continually.
It was Leslie who suddenly spoke in a hushed whisper. She had just openedher window the merest crack and peeped out, then closed it again withoutsound. "Phyllis, come here a moment. Look out when I open the window. Itstruck me that I saw something--some dark shape--slip around the cornerof the house next door. See if you can see it."
Phyllis applied her eye to the crack when the window was opened. Then shedrew her head back with a jerk. "I certainly did see something!" shewhispered excitedly. "It slipped back to the other side of the bungalow!"She peered out again. "Good gracious! I see it again--or else it'sanother one. Doesn't seem quite like the first figure. Can there possiblybe two?"
Leslie then, becoming impatient, demanded a turn at the peep-hole, andwhile she was straining her gaze into the darkness, they were bothelectrified by a light, timid knock at the door of the front veranda.
"Who can _that_ be?" cried Leslie, wide-eyed and trembling.
"Perhaps it's Ted come back," ventured Phyllis. "At any rate, I supposewe'll have to go and see!"
Rags, alert also, uttered a low growl, and Leslie silenced him anxiously."If this arouses Aunt Marcia,"--she whispered, "I shall be awfullyworried. Be quiet, Rags!"
They tiptoed into the living-room, switched on the light, and advanced tothe door. Again the knock came, light but insistent; and without furtherhesitation, Leslie threw the door open.
A muffled, dripping figure inquired timidly, "Please may I come in? I'mdripping wet and chilled to the bone."
"Why, _Eileen_!" cried Leslie, "what are you doing here in this terriblestorm?"
"I got lost on the way back from the hospital," half sobbed thenew-comer, "and I must have motored round and round in the rain and dark.And at last something went wrong with the engine, and I got out and leftthe car on the road--and I walked and walked--trying to find some placeto stay--and at last I found I was right near here--so I came in!" Sheseemed exhausted and half hysterical and Leslie could not but believeher.
"Well, I'm so glad you're found and here!" she cried. "I must call upAunt Sally right away and tell her you're all right. She called a whileago and was so anxious about you."
Leslie went to the telephone, while Phyllis helped Eileen to rid herselfof her wet clothes and get into something dry. Then they all sat down bythe fire in an uneasy silence. Presen
tly Phyllis suggested that Eileenmight like something warm to eat and drink, as she had evidently had nodinner. She assented to this eagerly, and the two girls went to thekitchen to provide something for her.
"I tell you," whispered Phyllis, "I just can't believe that hospital andgetting-lost stuff! She came out here for some purpose, you mark my word!But why she wants to get in here is beyond me just yet. I'll find outlater, though, you see if I don't!"
When they entered the living-room with a dainty tray a few minutes later,they found Eileen standing by one of the windows facing the ocean, tryingvainly to peer into the outer blackness. She started guiltily when shesaw them and retreated to the fire, murmuring something about "the awfulnight." But though she had seemed so eager for food, she ate almostnothing.
"Can't you take a little of this hot soup?" urged Leslie. "It will do youso much good. You must be very hungry by now."
"Oh, thanks, so much!" Eileen replied, with a grateful glance. "You arevery good to me. I did really think I was hungry, at first, but I'm sonervous I just can't eat!"
She pushed the tray aside and began to roam restlessly about the room. Atevery decent excuse, such as an extra heavy gust of wind or a flapping ofthe shutters, she would hurry to the window and try to peer out.
At length Phyllis made an excuse to disappear into Leslie's room and wasgone quite a time. Suddenly she put her head out of the door into theliving-room and remarked, in a voice full of suppressed excitement:"Leslie, can you come here a moment?"
Leslie excused herself and ran to join Phyllis. "What is it?" shewhispered breathlessly.
"Look out of the front window!" returned Phyllis, in a hushed undertone."There's something queer going on outside--by the old log!"
Leslie opened the window a crack. The howl of the storm and the lash ofrain was appalling, and it was two or three minutes before she couldaccustom her sight to the outer blackness. But when she did manage todistinguish something, she was startled to observe not only one, but_two_ dark figures circling slowly round and round the log, like twoanimals after the same prey, and watching each other cautiously.
"But that's not all!" muttered Phyllis, behind her. "There's a thirdfigure standing in the shadow right by Curlew's Nest. I saw him out ofthe side window. What on earth can it all mean?"
So absorbed were they that neither of them noticed the form that slippedinto the room behind them and stood peering over their shoulders. Butthey were suddenly startled beyond words to hear Eileen, close behindthem, catch her breath with an indrawn hiss, and mutter involuntarily:
"Oh, _Ted!_--Be careful!--Look out!--_Look out!_--"