As the brazen glow was fading to a weird, yellow light, an anxious group
was gathered about Darrell's bedside. He still tossed and moaned in
delirium, but his movements had grown pathetically feeble and the moans
were those of a tired child sobbing himself to sleep.
"He cannot hold out much longer," said Dr. Bradley, his fingers on the
weakening pulse, "his strength is failing rapidly."
"There will be a change soon, one way or the other," said the nurse,
"and there's not much of a chance left him now."
"One chance in a hundred," said Dr. Bradley, slowly; "and that is his
wonderful constitution; he may pull through where ninety-nine others
would die."
Dr. Bradley watched the sick man in silence, then noting that the room
was darkening, he stepped to an open window and cast a look of anxious
inquiry at the murky sky. As if in answer to his thought, there came the
low rumble of distant thunder, bringing a look of relief and hopefulness
to the face of the physician. Returning to the bedside, he gave a few
directions, then, as he was leaving, remarked,-"There will be a change in the weather soon, a change that may help to
turn the tide in his favor, provided it does not come too late!"
Hours passed; the distant mutterings grew louder, while the darkness and
gloom increased, and the sense of oppression became almost intolerable.
Suddenly the leaden mass which had overspread the sky appeared to drop
to earth, and in the dead silence which followed could be heard the roar
of the wind through the gorges and down the canyons. A moment more, and
clouds of dust and débris, the outriders of the coming tempest, rushed
madly through the streets in whirling columns towering far above the
city. From their vantage ground the dwellers at The Pines watched the
course of the storm, but only for a moment; then blinding sheets of
water hid even the nearest objects from view, while lightnings flashed
incessantly and the thunder crashed and rolled in one ceaseless,
deafening roar. The trees waved their arms in wild, helpless terror as
one and another of their number were prostrated by the storm, while the
dry channels on the mountain-side became raging, foaming torrents.
Suddenly the winds changed, a chilling blast swept across the plateau,
and to the rush of the wind, the roar of the thunder, and the crash of
falling timber was added the sharp staccato of swiftly descending hail.
For nearly an hour the storm raged in its fury, then departed as
suddenly as it came; but it left behind a clear atmosphere, crisp as an
October morning.