to our knees, I
couldn't resist taking another glance behind. The whole ocean was
covered with wreck; and one of the larger vessels I had seen just
before, had disappeared beneath the surface.

As we hurried on, crash succeeded crash. First one house fell, then
another, and another, and from some bright flames burst forth, which
even the descending rain failed to quench. It was useless to attempt
saving the lives of our fellow-creatures, for the same destruction would
have overtaken us. Our great object was to reach the higher country in
the direction of the barracks. Had Larry and I been alone, we should in
all probability have lost our lives; but Mr Ringer, knowing the town,
led us quickly through it by the shortest route. As we dashed through
the streets, scarcely looking to the right hand or to the left, piercing
cries of agony and despair struck on our ears. The smaller and more
lightly built houses were levelled in a moment, and many even of the
larger were crumbling away.

"Don't you wish to go to your own house? if so, we must not stop you; we
will go with you," I said to Mr Ringer.

"We should only be crushed by the falling ruins if we made the attempt,"
he answered at the top of his voice, and even then I could scarcely hear
what he said. "I'll try and get to it from the rear when I have seen
you out of the town."

Not far off from where we then were was a fine house, that had hitherto
withstood the hurricane. Presently a blast struck us which, had we not
clung together, would have blown us down. At the same time, looking up,
I saw the house literally rocking. Down came one wall, and then
another, the roof fell in, and in one instant it was a heap of shapeless
ruins.

"I trust the inmates have escaped," cried Mr Ringer.

Just then loud shrieks and cries for help struck on our ears. They
came, it seemed, from beneath the ruins. We could not withstand the
appeal for assistance, and calculating as well as we could in what
direction the still standing walls would fall, we sprang forward, taking
a course to avoid them across the mass of ruins. An arch, which had
apparently formed the centre of a passage, was yet uninjured, though
blocked up. The cries seemed to us to come from thence. We should
find, we knew, great difficulty in removing the _debris_ which
encumbered it, and the walls might at any moment fall down and crush us.
Still Larry and I, having climbed to the top of the heap, began