he saw
a brook or a river she had only to make a cup of her hands and drink all
she wanted. But she had walked miles in the dust and could see no sign
of water. At last she picked up some little round stones and put them in
her mouth. Her tongue seemed to be moister while she kept them there.
She changed them from time to time, hoping that she would soon come to a
brook.

Then suddenly the atmosphere changed, and although the heat was still
suffocating, the sun was hidden. Thick black clouds filled the sky. A
storm was coming on, there would be rain, and she would be able to hold
her mouth up to it, or she could stoop down to the puddles that it made
and drink!

The wind came up. A terrific swirl, carrying clouds of dust and leaves,
swept over the country and battered down the crops, uprooting plants and
shrubs in its mad fracas. Perrine could not withstand this whirlwind. As
she was lifted off her feet, a deafening crash of thunder shook the
earth. Throwing herself down in the ditch, she laid flat on her stomach,
covering her mouth and her eyes with her two small hands. The thunder
rolled heavily on.

A moment ago she had been mad with thirst and had prayed that the storm
would break quickly; now she realized that the storm would not only
bring thunder and rain, but lightning--terrible flashes of lightning
that almost blinded her.

And there would be torrents of rain and hail! Where could she go? Her
dress would be soaked, and how could she dry it?

She clambered out of the ditch. In the distance she saw a wood. She
thought that she might find a nook there where she could take shelter.

She had no time to lose. It was very dark. The claps of thunder became
more frequent and louder, and the vivid lightning played fantastically
on the black sky.

Would she be able to reach the wood before the storm broke? She ran as
quickly as her panting breath would allow, now and again casting a look
behind her at the black clouds which seemed to be sweeping down upon
her.

She had seen terrible storms in the mountains when travelling with her
father and mother, but they were with her then; now she was alone. Not
a soul near her in this desolate country. Fortunately the wind was
behind her; it blew her along, at times carrying her off her feet. If
she could only keep up this pace; the storm had not caught up with her
yet.

Holding her elbows against her little body and bending forward, she ran
on ... but the storm also ma