This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
318
THE SNAKE'S PASS.

me! Save me!" And again, as was most natural, I found myself awake on the floor of my room—though this time I did not scream—wet and quivering with some nameless terror, and with Norah's despairing cry in my ears.

But even in the first instant of my awakening I had taken a resolution which forthwith I proceeded to carry into effect. These terrible dreams—whencesoever they came—must not have come in vain! The grim warning must not be despised! Norah was in danger, and I must go to her at all hazards!

I threw on my clothes and went and woke Dick. When I told him my intention he jumped up at once and began to dress, whilst I ran downstairs and found Andy, and set him to get out the car at once.

"Is it goin' out agin in the shtorm ye are? Begor! ye'd not go widout some rayson, an' I'm not the bhoy to be behind whin ye want me. I'll be ready, yer 'an'r, in two skips iv a dead salmon!" and Andy proceeded to make, or rather complete, his toilet, and hurried out to the stable to get the car ready. In the mean time Dick had got two lanterns and a flask, and showed them to me.

"We may as well have them with us. We do not know what we may want in this storm."

It was now past one o'clock, and the night was pitchy dark. The rain still fell, and high overhead we could hear the ceaseless rushing of the wind. It was a lucky thing that both Andy and the mare knew the road