den laughter.

"Look, Rose--over there on that box. That must be the wet, furry _big_
intruder that scared you so!"

Four pairs of round frightened eyes followed her pointing finger; and on
the box they saw a half-grown rabbit, with eyes bulging like marbles as
the little creature crouched there in deadly terror. One glance, and
three of the girls broke into shrieks of nervous laughter in which,
after a moment, Rose joined. And having begun to laugh the girls kept
on, until those in the other tents began to wonder if somebody had gone
crazy. Mrs. Royall finally had to speak sternly to put an end to the
hysterical chorus.

"There, there, girls, that will do--now be quiet! Listen, the thunder is
fainter now, and the lightning less sharp. I think the wind is going
down too. Are any of you wet?"

"Only--only Rose, where the _big_ furry thing----" began one, and at
that a fresh peal of laughter rang out. But Mrs. Royall's grave face
silenced it quickly.

"Listen, girls," she repeated, "you are keeping me here when I am needed
to look after others. I cannot go until you are quiet. I'll take this
half-drowned rabbit"--she reached over and picked up the trembling
little creature--"with me; and now I think you can go to sleep. I am
sure the worst of the storm is over."

"We will be quiet, Mrs. Royall," Edith Rue promised, her lips twitching
again as she looked at the shivering rabbit.

"And I hope now _you_ can get some rest," another added, and then Mrs.
Royall dropped the curtain and went out again into the rain, which was
still falling heavily. All the other tents had withstood the gale, and
when Mrs. Royall had looked into each one, answered the eager questions
of the girls, and assured them that no one was hurt and the worst of the
storm was over, she hurried back to the dining-room. There she found
that Anne and Laura had warmed and dried the girls, who had been turned
out of their tent, given them hot milk, and made up dry beds for them on
the floor.

"They are warm as toast," Anne assured her.

"And now you and I will get back to bed, Elizabeth," Mary Hastings said,
again slipping on her raincoat, while Laura quietly threw her own over
the other girl's shoulders.

"Wait a minute," Mrs. Royall ordered, and brought them two sandbags hot
from the kitchen oven. "You must not go to sleep with cold feet. And
thank you both for your help," she added. "I'll hold the lantern here at
the door so you can see your way."