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never dreamed it could blow so hard。 A sea breached across the atoll；
wetting him to the knees ere it subsided into the lagoon。 The sun had
disappeared； and a lead…colored twilight settled down。 A few drops of rain；
driving horizontally； struck him。 The impact was like that of leaden pellets。
A splash of salt spray struck his face。 It was like the slap of a man's hand。
His cheeks stung； and involuntary tears of pain were in his smarting eyes。
Several hundred natives had taken to the trees； and he could have laughed
at the bunches of human fruit clustering in the tops。 Then； being Tahitian…
born； he doubled his body at the waist； clasped the trunk of his tree with
his hands； pressed the soles of his feet against the near surface of the trunk；
and began to walk up the tree。 At the top he found two women； two
children； and a man。 One little girl clasped a housecat in her arms。
From his eyrie he waved his hand to Captain Lynch； and that doughty
patriarch waved back。 Raoul was appalled at the sky。 It had approached
much nearerin fact； it seemed just over his head； and it had turned from
lead to black。 Many people were still on the ground grouped about the
bases of the trees and holding on。 Several such clusters were praying； and
in one the Mormon missionary was exhorting。 A weird sound； rhythmical；
faint as the faintest chirp of a far cricket； enduring but for a moment； but
in the moment suggesting to him vaguely the thought of heaven and
celestial music； came to his ear。 He glanced about him and saw； at the base
of another tree； a large cluster of people holding on by ropes and by one
another。 He could see their faces working and their lips moving in unison。
No sound came to him； but he knew that they were singing hymns。
Still the wind continued to blow harder。 By no conscious process could
he measure it； for it had long since passed beyond all his experience of
wind； but he knew somehow； nevertheless； that it was blowing harder。 Not
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far away a tree was uprooted； flinging its load of human beings to the
ground。 A sea washed across the strip of sand； and they were gone。 Things
were happening quickly。 He saw a brown shoulder and a black head
silhouetted against the churning white of the lagoon。 The next instant that；
too； had vanished。 Other trees were going； falling and criss…crossing like
matches。 He was amazed at the power of the wind。 His own tree was
swaying perilously； one woman was wailing and clutching the little girl；
who in turn still hung on to the cat。
The man； holding the other child； touched Raoul's arm and pointed。 He
looked and saw the Mormon church careering drunkenly a hundred feet
away。 It had been torn from its foundations； and wind and sea were
heaving and shoving it toward the lagoon。 A frightful wall of water caught
it； tilted it； and flung it against half a dozen cocoanut trees。 The bunches of
human fruit fell like ripe cocoanuts。 The subsiding wave showed them on
the ground； some lying motionless； others squirming and writhing。 They
reminded him strangely of ants。 He was not shocked。 He had risen above
horror。 Quite as a matter of course he noted the succeeding wave sweep
the sand clean of the human wreckage。 A third wave； more colossal than
any he had yet seen； hurled the church into the lagoon； where it floated off
into the obscurity to leeward； half…submerged； reminding him for all the
world of a Noah's ark。
He looked for Captain Lynch's house； and was surprised to find it gone。
Things certainly were happening quickly。 He noticed that many of the
people in the trees that still held had descended to the ground。 The wind
had yet again increased。 His own tree showed that。 It no longer swayed or
bent over and back。 Instead； it remained practically stationary； curved in
a rigid angle from the wind and merely vibrating。 But the vibration was
sickening。 It was like that of a tuning…fork or the tongue of a jew's…harp。 It
was the rapidity of the vibration that made it so bad。 Even though its roots
held； it could not stand the strain for long。 Something would have to break。
Ah； there was one that had gone。 He had not seen it go； but there it
stood； the remnant； broken off half…way up the trunk。 One did not know
what happened unless he saw it。 The mere crashing of trees and wails of
human despair occupied no place in that mighty volume of sound。 He
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chanced to be looking in Captain Lynch's direction when it happened。 He
saw the trunk of the tree； half…way up； splinter and part without noise。 The
head of the tree； with three sailors of the Aorai and the old captain sailed
off over the lagoon。 It did not fall to the ground； but drove through the air
like a piece of chaff。 For a hundred yards he followed its flight； when it
struck the water。 He strained his eyes； and was sure that he saw Captain
Lynch wave farewell。
Raoul did not wait for anything more。 He touched the native and made
signs to descend to the ground。 The man was willing； but his women were
paralayzed from terror； and he elected to remain with them。 Raoul passed
his rope around the tree and slid down。 A rush of salt water went over his
head。 He held his breath and clung desperately to the rope。 The water
subsided； and in the shelter of the trunk he breathed once more。 He
fastened the rope more securely； and then was put under by another sea。
One of the women slid down and joined him； the native remaining by the
other woman； the two children； and the cat。
The supercargo had noticed how the groups clinging at the bases of the
other trees continually diminished。 Now he saw the process work out
alongside him。 It required all his strength to hold on； and the woman who
had joined him was growing weaker。 Each time he emerged from a sea
he was surprised to find himself still there； and next； surprised to find the
woman still there。 At last he emerged to find himself alone。 He looked
up。 The top of the tree had gone as well。 At half its original height； a
splintered end vibrated。 He was safe。 The roots still held； while the tree
had been shorn of its windage。 He began to climb up。 He was so weak that
he went slowly； and sea after sea caught him before he was above them。
Then he tied himself to the trunk and stiffened his soul to face the night
and he knew not what。
He felt very lonely in the darkness。 At times it seemed to him that it
was the end of the world and that he was the last one left alive。 Still the
wind increased。 Hour after hour it increased。 By what he calculated was
eleven o'clock； the wind had become unbelievable。 It was a horrible；
monstrous thing； a screaming fury； a wall that smote and passed on but
that continued to smite and pass ona wall without end。 It seemed to him
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that he had become light and ethereal； that it was he that was in motion；
that he was being driven with inconceivable velocity through unending
solidness。 The wind was no longer air in motion。 It had become substantial
as water or quicksilver。 He had a feeling that he could reach into it and
tear it out in chunks as one might do with the meat in the carcass of a steer；
that he could seize hold of the wind and hang on to it as a man might hang
on to the face of a cliff。
The wind strangled him。 He could not face it and breathe； for it rushed
in through his mouth and nostrils； distending his lungs like bladders。 At
such moments it seemed to him that his body was being packed and
swollen with solid earth。 Only by pressing his lips to the trunk of the tree
could he breathe。 Also； the ceaseless impact of the wind exhausted him。
Body and brain became wearied。 He no longer observed； no longer
thought； and was but semiconscious。 One idea constituted his
consciousness： SO THIS WAS A HURRICANE。 That one idea persisted
irregularly。 It was like a