banging were really a shutter, and then, having settled in his mind that
it WAS, he was startled by a shout. Another, and in the road before the
house!

Jeff put down the book, and marked the place by turning down the leaf,
being one of that large class of readers whose mental faculties are
butter-fingered, and easily slip their hold. Then he resumed his boots
and was duly caparisoned. He extinguished the kerosene lamp, and braved
the outer air, and strong currents of the hall and stairway in the
darkness. Lighting two candles in the bar-room, he proceeded to unlock
the hall door. At the same instant a furious blast shook the house,
the door yielded slightly and impelled a thin, meek-looking stranger
violently against Jeff, who still struggled with it.

"An accident has occurred," began the stranger, "and"--but here the wind
charged again, blew open the door, pinned Jeff behind it back against
the wall, overturned the dripping stranger, dashed up the staircase, and
slammed every door in the house, ending triumphantly with No. 14, and a
crash of glass in the window.

"'Come, rouse up!" said Jeff, still struggling with the door, "rouse up
and lend a hand yer!"

Thus abjured, the stranger crept along the wall towards Jeff and began
again, "We have met with an accident." But here another and mightier
gust left him speechless, covered him with spray of a wildly
disorganized water-spout that, dangling from the roof, seemed to be
playing on the front door, drove him into black obscurity and again
sandwiched his host between the door and the wall. Then there was a
lull, and in the midst of it Yuba Bill, driver of the "Pioneer" coach,