It was very dark outside now, for the clouds hung almost low enough to touch the top of the castle tower!
And how they raced by!
The wind sent them off to the northeast, roaring behind them with a noise like the sea itself.
"I've never, never heard the sea making such an awful noise," said Anne.
"Never!
It really sounds as if it's shouting at the top of its voice."
What with the howling of the wind and the crashing of the great waves all round the little island, the children could hardly hear themselves speak!
They had to shout at one another.
"Let's have our dinner!" yelled Dick, who was feeling terribly hungry as usual.
"We can't do anything much while this storm lasts."
"Yes, let's," said Anne, looking longingly at the ham sandwiches.
"It will be fun to have a picnic round the fire in this dark old room.
I wonder how long ago other people had a meal here.
I wish I could see them."
"Well, I don't, said Dick, looking round half-scared as if he expected to see the old-time people walk in to share their picnic.
"It's quite a queer enough day without wanting things like that to happen."
They all felt better when they were eating the sandwiches and drinking the ginger-beer.
The fire flared up as more and more sticks caught, and gave out quite a pleasant warmth, for now that the wind had got up so strongly, the day had become cold.
"We'll take it in turn to fetch sticks," said George.
But Anne didn't want to go alone.
She was trying her best not to show that she was afraid of the storm— but it was more than she could do to go out of the cosy room into the rain and thunder by herself.
Tim didn't seem to like the storm either.
He sat close by George, his ears cocked, and growled whenever the thunder rumbled.
The children fed him with titbits and he ate them eagerly, for he was hungry too.
All the children had four biscuits each.
"I think I shall give all mine to Tim," said George. "I didn't bring him any of his own biscuits, and he does seem so hungry."
"No, don't do that," said Julian.
"We'll each give him a biscuit— that will be four for him— and we'll still have three left each.
That will be plenty for us."
"You are really nice," said George.
"Tim, don't you think they are nice?"
Tim did.
He licked everyone and made them laugh.
Then he rolled over on his back and let Julian tickle him underneath.
The children fed the fire and finished their picnic.
When it came to Julian's turn to get more sticks, he disappeared out of the room into the storm.
He stood and looked around, the rain wetting his bare head. The storm seemed to be right overhead now.
The lightning flashed and the thunder crashed at the same moment.
Julian was not a bit afraid of storms, but he couldn't help feeling rather over-awed at this one.
It was so magnificent.
The lightning tore the sky in half almost every minute, and the thunder crashed so loudly that it sounded almost as if mountains were falling down all around!
The sea's voice could be heard as soon as the thunder stopped— and that was magnificent to hear too.
The spray flew so high into the air that it wetted Julian as he stood in the centre of the ruined castle.
"I really must see what the waves are like," thought the boy.
"If the spray flies right over me here, they must be simply enormous!"
He made his way out of the castle and climbed up on to part of the ruined wall that had once run all round the castle.
He stood up there, looking out to the open sea.
And what a sight met his eyes!
The waves were like great walls of grey-green!
They dashed over the rocks that lay all around the island, and spray flew from them, gleaming white in the stormy sky.