What are you doing?" cried Irma.

"We mustn't have a fire now," replied Gundel, and, after that, they sat
there in the dark room, almost stifled by the smoke, for the storm
raged so wildly that they dared not open a window.

"If father were only home," said Gundel; "I hope, for God's sake, he'll
get home safe!"

Her last words were drowned by a sudden peal of thunder that
reverberated from the mountains, with a crash as if the whole world
were being destroyed. And now the wind raged and stormed more violently
than before. The firmly built hut seemed to totter, the roof trembled,
and one of the great boulders with which it had been secured fell to
the ground.

"Give me your hand!" cried Gundel, in the dark. "If we must die--let's
pray." She prayed aloud, but the crashing thunder drowned her voice.
Suddenly the noise changed, and it sounded as if countless iron hammers
were descending on the roof; the rattling, pounding and rumbling
created a furious din.

"That's hail!" shrieked Gundel, putting her mouth to Irma's ear.

The thunder and hail continued, and, ever and anon, the lightning would
flash through the smoke and darkness, causing the two girls to appear,
in each other's eyes, as if transported to the infernal regions. The
hailstones seemed to impel each other forward. Now they would descend
with mighty force; then the fury of the storm would abate and they
would fall more gently and steadily than before, as if the raging
mountain demon had stopped to take breath, before again venting his ire
on the mortals who had ventured to build a cottage on his lofty domain.

The lowing of the cows and the ringing of their bells were heard above
the rattling hail.

"I opened the stable door, but the wind must have blown it shut,"
exclaimed Gundel; and, forgetting her own trouble, she hurried out. She
came back in a hurry, and, placing an inverted pail on her head, went
out again. Irma followed her example, and the two of them ducked their
heads while the great hailstones rattled against the pails. Gundel
tried to open the stable door, but the cows crowded about her so that
she was thrown to the ground. In the midst of the noise, Irma heard
Gundel's piercing cry. The bellowing, trembling leader cow was standing
near Irma.

"Come along!" said Irma, seizing the cow by one of its horns. It obeyed
her, and the other cows made way. Irma found Gundel, and, having helped
her up, the two opened the stable door, but were almos