The Mena weekly star., 1909-01-28
CHAPTER xx.
Tho Hurricane Blast.
. OR a moment that seemed
 S moment of eternity she

HSa moment of eternity she
 lay on her bed staring into
 A6 blank darkness. The storm burs with crashing uproar that brought her to her feet with a shriek. Her 0Innt tree creaked and strained under tno impact of the terrific hurricane bInsts that came bowling through the clef& like rout of shrieking fends. The peals of thunder merged into one cenfinuous roar. beneath which the e6lid lodges of rocks jared and quiv- cred. The sky was pail of black clouds, meshed with dazzling net Work of forked lightning.
 The girl stood motionless, stunned by the uproar, appalled, by the blinding glare of the thunderbolts; yet even n1ore fearful of the figure which every flash showed her still lurking beneath the door. A gust-borne bough struck with numbing force against her up- rAsed arm. But she took no heed She was unaware of the swirl of rain and sticks and leaves that was driving la through the open entrance.
 On a sudden the door shook free from Its props and whlrled violently around on its balance-bar There was a shriek that pierced above the shrill- ing of the cycione--a single human shriek.
 The girl sprang across the cave. The heavy door swished up before her and down again, it's lower edge all but grading her face. For a moment 1t stopped in vertical position and hung quivering, like beast about to l9sD upon its prey. Too excited to somprehend the danger of the act the yirl sprang forward and shot one of lie thick bars Into its socket.
 NA fierce gust leaped against the out l ,r face of the door and thrust in upon { (, gtriving to burst 1t bodily from its ] tearings. The top and the free side ] ranches were still green and tough. { he bamboo like whalebone and the drunken creepers held the frame to- Hther as though the joints were Rshed with wire rope. Failing to mash in the elastic structure or to nap the crossbar 1t were as If the nnst flung itself alternately against ] h6 top and bottom in fierce attempt { Q again whirl the frame about. The tbite glare streaming in through the ntcrStices showed the girl her oppor- ' unity. She grasped another bar and : hot it into it's socket as the lower Aart of the door gave back with tho hitting of the pressure to the top. 1t gas then a simple matter to slide the emaining bars into the deep-sunk toiee Within half a minute she had
 1ade the door fast from the first bar the sixth.
 A heavy spray was beating in upon
 CT through the chinks of the frame
 F0rk She drew back and sought helter in a niche at the side. Mar Il ow as was the slit above the top of he door. 1t let in torrent of water. ? 'ffch spouted clear across and gainSt the far wall of the cave. It T. ushe1 down upon her bed and was . lready flooding the cave floor
 1. She piled higher the cocoanuts Il tored in her niche, and perched her
 VII MIAh thC Htdp tO hCCP tcR'N hAN '. 'ater But eevn in her sheltered cor ' CT the eddying wind showered her V yith spray She waded across for her ', Uncovered sunshade. and returned Y !, huddle beneath it, in the still mis- !. ry and terror of hunted animal that iss as crept wounded into hole. d During the first hurricane there had
 cen Companions to whom she could Q ,ok for help and comfort. and she " sd been to degree unaware of the
 reafness of the danger. But in the
 sw short weeks since she had caught
 lore than one glimpse of Primeyal
 atnre- she of the bloody fang, blind, .i smoraeless. insensate. destroying, ,,s yer destroying.
 aa True, this was on solid land, while s afore there had been the peril of the ,n sa. Hut now the girl was alone. Out .rs de the strainlng walls of her refuge.
 le Hurricane yelled and shrieked and N ared-a headless, formless monster.
 rious to burst in upon her, to over
 row her stanch old tree giant, that
 his fall his shattered trunk might
 ush and mangle her. Or at any in-
 ant a thunder-bolt might rend open
 great tower Of living wood, and irl her blackened body into the pool N the cave floor
 Once she fancied that she heard N aixe shouting outside the door but aen 1he screamed shrill response. H blast mocked her with echoing N riekB. and she dared not venture to N ae the door. If 1t were Blake, he ~ not shout again After time she gan tp think that the sound had
 en u0 more than a freak of the
 flung wind. Yet the thought of him
 tin the full fury of the cyclone
 wed to turn her thoughts from her
 n danger She prayed aloud for his
 fety. beseeching God that he be
 ared. She sought to pray even for
 Inthr0pe. But the vision of that
 astly face rose up before her. and . ss could not-then.
 1l 'sesently she became aware oi s