ey listened to a dull rumbling sound. Then
there was a smart shock, a great cloud seemed to be puffed out of the
mountain, whose top they could see plainly dominating the gorge, and
then all was still.

"An earthquake!" said the captain. "Here, stand up, men, what are you
doing?"

This was to Billy Widgeon and the other sailor, who, immediately upon
feeling the tremulous wavy motion of the earth, had dropped into a
sitting position, and from that lain flat down upon their backs.

"Is it safe to get up, sir?" said Billy pitifully.

"Safe!" said the mate. "Yes, for you. You wouldn't fall far."

"No, sir, not so werry far," said Billy apologetically; "but you see I
ain't used to walking when the ground's a-heaving up like that there."

"My good fellow, who is?" cried the mate.

"Never felt anything like it before, sir. Hadn't we better go back?"

"Quick!" cried the captain; "run--for those rocks."

He led the way, and all ran, followed by Jack and the dog, and as they
ran a rushing sound came behind them, nearer and nearer and louder and
louder. Mark glanced over his shoulder and saw that a great
white-topped wave was dashing in from seaward, turning the calm lagoon
into a fierce scene of turmoil, and racing after them so rapidly that
before they reached the rocks it was half-way up the sands. As they
climbed up about twenty feet the wave struck the foot, sending the spray
flying over their heads, and then retiring with a low hissing roar back
to the lagoon, across it, plunging over the barrier reef, and as they
watched they could see that the ocean was heaving and tossing in the
brilliant sunshine, and then in the course of a few minutes all was
peaceful once again.

"Oh, the boat!" cried Mark, for he had been intent upon the wave. The
captain had, however, been watchful of the boat the whole time, and had
seen it caught by the earthquake wave, swung round, and carried up over
the sands to be thrown at last and left close to the pile of rocks to
which they clung.

Fortunately it had been heaved up gently and allowed to fall easily upon
the soft sands, so that when they descended to it and swung its stern
round so as to place it in an easy position for running down, they found
it to be perfectly uninjured, and that it had not shipped a drop of
water.

All joined to run her down again toward the sea, but the captain
concluded to wait till they were ready to start, in case another wave
should run in an