and done during the exploring expedition, and the adventure with the
pigs made them all laugh heartily.

As the sun went down, the weather threatened still more; the wind blew
strong, and the rocky beach was lashed by the waves and white with
spray, while the surf roared as it poured in and broke upon the sand in
the cove. The whole family had retired to bed except Ready, who said
that he would watch the weather a little before he turned in. The old
man walked towards the beach, and leaned against the gunnel of the
boat, and there he remained with his keen gray eye fixed upon the
distance, which was now one opaque mass, except where the white foam of
the waters gleamed through the darkness of the night! "Yes!" thought
he; "the winds and the waves are summoned to do his bidding, and evenly
do they work together - as one rises, so does the other; when one
howls, the other roars in concert - hand in hand they go in their fury
and their force. Had they been called up but one week since, where
would have been those who have now been, as it were, intrusted to my
weak help? The father, the mother, the children, the infant at the
breast, and I, the gray-headed old man, - all buried fathoms deep,
awaiting our summons; but they were restrained by his will, and by his
will we were saved. Will those timbers which bore us here so
miraculously hold together till morning? I should think not. What are
the iron bolts and fastenings of weak man, compared with the force of
God's elements: they will snap as yarns; and by to-morrow's dawn, the
fragments of the stout ship will be washing and tossing on the wild
surf. Well, it will be a kindness to us, for the waters will perform
the labour which we could not; they will break up the timbers for our
use, and throw on shore from the hold those articles which we could not
reach with our little strength."