After the restoration of Noddy, they began to survey the situation. All were soaked through, and the rain beat about them unmercifully. But they were thankful to have escaped with their lives. Through the white curtain of rain they could make out the outlines of the Curlew, riding at the dock.
"I'm glad to see that," observed Jack. "I was half afraid that she might have broken away."
"Then we would have been in a fine fix," said Billy.
"What will we do next?" asked Noddy, removing some fragments of hay from his ears.
"Wait till the clouds roll by," laughed Billy. "I guess that's about the program, isn't it, Jack?"
"Seems to be about all that there is to do," replied Jack; "but it seems to me that the storm is beginning to let up even now. Look in the northwest—it's beginning to get lighter."
"So it is," agreed Billy. "Let's get under that clump of trees yonder till it blows over altogether."
"Say, fellows, if we had a fire now, it would feel pretty good," observed Noddy.
"Well, what's the matter with having one?" asked Jack. "We can get some of those old shingles and tarred posts. They're pretty wet, but we can start the blaze going with dried hay from the bottom of the pile."
"Good for you. Volunteer firemen, get to work," cried Billy.