“And have hung about here all this time? Nonsense!” returned Laura. “But don’t let Lil and Nellie hear you say that.”
“All right. But I bet they are.”
“I’m more worried by that cloud yonder,” said Laura. “We’re going to have a tempest.”
“Hope not till supper’s over,” said the hungry Jess.
“We’ll peg down the tents to make sure as soon as we get in,” said the careful Laura.
They did so. Half through supper the first drops of the storm fell. Then the thunder rolled nearer and a tall tree was riven on the mainland, within sight of Camp Acorn.
That pretty well settled the supper for most of the girls. Even the bravest had never experienced a thunder storm under canvas before.
So they all ran into Mrs. Morse’s cabin. It did not seem so bad there.
In the midst of the downpour, however, and in a lull between thunder claps, Barnacle, who had been tied to the corner of the hut and had crawled under the floor for protection, suddenly broke out 143 with a terrific salvo of barks. He rushed out into the rain and leaped at the end of his rope, barking and yelping.
“Somebody’s about the camp,” murmured Mrs. Morse. “The dog’s nose—if not his eyes—tells him so.”