The night light had been brought inside, as Mackey secretly expected a big storm, and now just the faintest glimmer shown from its peg where it hung by the front door.
To accommodate the company, three cots had been run together and the beds arranged crosswise, blankets and cushions covered the rims, so that it was considered possible, if not probable, that four girls could thus sleep on the three beds. Over in a corner Helen and Madaline shared quarters with Margaret, so that any sort of sleep for that night was rather uncertain even before the storm broke loose, and tried to break everything else loose with it.
Another blast and again Isabel called:
“Hold fast!”
Then there was a slam of something!
“What was that?” asked Miss Mackin quickly.
Heads were under blankets now and gave no answer.
“Did anyone fall out of bed?” she asked, a trifle anxiously.
“We’re all right,” came a muffled reply from the “buckboard” party on the crosswise bed.
There was another queer slamming sound!