“Anyhow,” he said, “before I had quite made up my mind to do it, Bobby settled the question by actually breaking in; and just as soon as I saw him show Chucky Snuff how to do his part, I don’t think I could well have chosen any other way of meeting the situation.”
“And now, mother dear,” said Bobby, “we want you to tell everything about yourself, and don’t leave anything out.”
The eager interest of Bobby and John Compton inspired Barbara to a full and enthralling narrative of her mischances.
“And to think,” mused Compton, “that all this strange series of events should have come about just through the most trivial thing in the world.”
“How’s that, Uncle John?” asked Bobby, nestling in his mother’s arms.
“Why, through a little earth tremor. Of course you, Mrs. Vernon, and you, Bobby, were not used to it; but actually it doesn’t disturb us who live here, especially the native-born, as much as a loud clap of thunder. Three months ago we had an actual thunderstorm here, and there was one flash of lightning and one clap of thunder like the kind that are so common in Cincinnati. Now Father Mallory told me that the children in his school were so frightened that for a moment there was danger of a panic. And I have no doubt that the children who were most frightened were natives and, because they were natives, would have hardly paid any attention to an earth tremor.”
“That is so, Uncle John,” broke in Bobby. “Peggy was at school that day and she told me all about it. She said that when the thunderclap came she screamed at the top of her voice, and started for the door. The Sister got there before her, and blocked her and a dozen other children, and made them go back to their seats.”
“By the way, Bobby,” said Compton, “did you ever think to ask yourself why you were carried out by that wave?”
“They all say it was the undertow.”
“Yes; but in ordinary circumstances it would not have caught you, as you were not far enough out. In my opinion, the sea was affected by the impending earthquake and that wave was not a normal wave.”