"It's a big steamer, and
the captain and crew must be used to the weather down here. They'll
know what to do. Probably they ran for harbor when they saw the
storm coining. They say skippers in the West Indies can tell when a
storm's due hours ahead."
But that brought little comfort to the girls, and even Walter looked
worried as the day wore on and the fury of the storm did not abate.
Inez, as one who had lived in the region, was appealed to rather
often to say whether this was not the worst she had ever seen.
"Oh, I have seen zem much worse," was her ready answer, "but zey did
terrible damage. Terrible!"
And, on talking with some of the old residents of San Juan, and with
the hotel people, Jack and Walter learned that the storm was a most
unusual one.
It was of the nature of a hurricane, but it did not have the sudden
sharpness and shortness of attack of those devastating storms. The
real hurricane season, due to a change of climatic conditions, was
supposed to have passed, and this storm was entirely unlooked for,
and unexpected.
It did not blow steadily, as hurricanes did, but in fits and gusts,
more disconcerting than a steady blow of more power. The rain, also,
came in showers. Now there would not be a drop filling, and again
there would be a deluge, blinding in its intensity.
For want of a better name the storm was called a hurricane, though
many of the real characteristics were lacking.
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