its gnarled boughs. She could see the
tree-tops on the lawn, bowing, twisting, lashing wildly, as though
trying to wrench their roots free from the grip of earth, as though
possessed to follow their flying leaves into the sky. Now came a spat of
rain. She ducked her head and began to run.

The bull was proceeding with majestic leisureliness towards his shed. He
booed from bass to treble, several times. "My sultanas," said this
booing, "I advise you to seek, with me, the shelter of my palace."

All the heifers began moving after him towards the shed. Now the rain
came in earnest--big, cold drops. Sophy ran faster and faster. The
mushrooms in her basket bounced plumply. She was afraid they would be
smashed. She took off her brown velvet cap and pressed it over them as
she ran. The rain rather blinded her. She ran full-tilt into some one
who emerged suddenly from behind a thicket near the pasture-bars.

"By Jove!... You're soaked!..." said a voice she knew. It was Loring.

XL

Sophy let him take the basket from her and kiss her rain-wet cheek. She
was glad that the rain came between her and that kiss. She could not say
anything just at first--her quick running and the suddenness of his
appearance had quite taken her breath for the moment.

"But you're sopping ... _sopping!_..." he kept repeating. He, too, could
not think of anything more fitting to say. And Sophy began to murmur
back:

"But you're getting wet, too ... what a shame!..."

They ran together towards the house. But now the rain ceased, and again
the wind came--vicious, blatant. The big hedge of box just in front of
them was a dark fury of tossing boughs.

"Oh, the trees!... I'm so afraid some of the trees will go down!..."
said Sophy.

They ran on under the dark tunnel of box, and out upon the lawn. As they
did so, Sophy gave a cry and halted.

"Look!" she gasped. "The big locust ... oh!... It's going ... it's
going...."

She ran towards the middle of the lawn. Loring followed--caught her
firmly by the arm.

"Wait...." he said. "Don't go any nearer...."

They stood dumbly watching the giant tree. It was fully a hundred feet
high--a monarch shaft crowned with massive branches--wrapped python-like
by a huge trumpet-vine. It was the last of its splendid generation--a
royal tree. Now it rocked heavily--to and fro--farther and farther each
way, each time--a groaning sound came from it. This sound splintered
suddenly. It was like the bursti