EARTHQUAKES AND RAILROADS. LIT

“Uncle Nat!”

No reply but a snore.

At Uncle Nat’s bedside, there stood in the moonlight, two trembling
boys, each face colorless as a sheet.

“Uncle Nat!” called Rick. “Uncle Nat!”

His sleepy relative groaned. 7

“Did you hear that?”

“ Y—e—s—”

“What was it?”

“ You — hol — ler — ing.”

“No, but the shaking.” é

“ Oh — it’s oa aes

“ Yokohama ?”

“Yes, she’s—got—the shakes.”

“Got what?”

“A fit —of oe

“What?”

“ Earthquake, child! go to bed.”

“Oh uncle!”

- Rick almost expected to see a great mouth yawning beneath him,
swallowing him and. Ralph up. No mouth opened. But what was
that noise? It was Uncle Nat snoring again. Plainly, he was not
afraid. The brothers went to the windows and looked out.

“Tet’s see if we can‘see anything,” said Ralph in a hushed
voice.

No earthquake was visible, nor was any disturbance anywhere
manifest. The white moonlight rested like a fresh fall of snow
on all the house-roofs. The boys crept back to bed, and cuddled
down beside one another, directing two sober faces and four big
eyes toward the moonlight. A late comer was heard to open the