She seemed on the point of righting herself.

Then she started to roll over on her side! Almost as abruptly she stopped, shivered, and then lay still again.

But she was not in her old position.
She was lying over at least two degrees farther than before the upheaval.
This same, tremendous tidal wave, driven up by the strong wind that had blown steadily and viciously out of the north for three days,--or perhaps created by some vast internal convulsion of the earth,--completely inundated the low-lying point of land known as Cape Sunrise, At least two miles of the island was temporarily under water.
The high ridge lining the shore alone prevented the sea from hurtling over into the valley to destroy the fields and gardens and even to imperil the row of huts along the opposite slope.
Out on Cape Sunrise the waters swept over the lonely grave of Betty Cruise, but fell back baffled when they attacked the foothills that protected the homes of the living.

There were superstitious persons who read meaning into this startling visitation of the sea.

They made ugly romance of it.