“Why, Royal,” said Marielle, “this will do very well. It is large enough.”
“Yes,” said Royal, “but I want to put some more boards over it, to cover up the cracks.”
“O, the cracks don’t do any hurt,” said Marielle. “The rain does not come down the cracks at all; not a drop.”
And Marielle held out her hand, as she stood under the roof which Royal had made for her, to see if any rain came through.
“No, not now, perhaps,” said Royal; “but presently, when the rain comes pouring down in a torrent, it will.”
Royal kept at work all the time that he was talking, sliding down more boards, over those which he had put down first, to cover the cracks. In the mean time, it began to rain; and the thunder grew louder and louder. The wind howled about his ears, and rattled the boards, and made it very difficult for him to place them. At length, just as Royal was ready to go down, and get in under his hut himself, a sudden gust took one of his boards, the upper end of which extended upwards farther than the rest, and blew it and three others away from their places, and carried them out to some distance on the grass.
Marielle and the children were frightened at the noise; but it was now raining so fast that they did not run out. Royal soon repaired the breach with other boards, which he placed so that the wind should not have any advantage in getting hold of them. At length, when all seemed secure, Royal came down from the pile, and ran in under the shelter, with the water running down off his hat and clothes in streams.
“Now, Royal,” said Marielle, “you have got yourself all wet through, making us a shelter.”
“That’s no matter,” said Royal. “It is good fun for a boy to get wet.”
Just then, a terrible clap of thunder burst, and rattled over their heads, preceded by a vivid flash of lightning. They were all alarmed at the sound. Royal, however, said that he thought that was the worst clap they should have, and that now the storm would soon be over.