"The evening star setting beyond the hill," they declared, derisively, but we two maintained that it was nothing less than a light near by.

Then sleep ruled the camp.

In the middle of the night there was a sudden terrific cracking, rending, and crashing, starting all to their feet except Clem, who was not wakened by it.

What had happened?
We perceived in a second.

One of the enormous limbs, weakened by the wind, had broken off and dropped to the ground in the middle of the camp.