He looked back across the yard and saw Orrin propel the frightened Jim out of the doorway of the shack; and he had to fairly drag Blodger out as well. Both the old man and the boy knew these tornadoes too well to desire to be out-of-doors. Hiram was endeavoring to unwind the first cable alone when the others reached him. He had fastened the end of the twisted wire through one of the rings in the side of the barn about eight feet from the ground. They unwound the entire length of this first cable, struggling against the wind, and carrying the end around the silo. Here the fastening ring was too high to be reached without the aid of a ladder. The carpenters had left their various ladders behind the new house. Hiram spied them, and, shouting to Orrin to come with him, started against the wind for that place. They had actually to tack like a boat in a heavy seaway to reach the ladders. And coming back, each bearing an end of the ladder selected, they were blown to the ground half a dozen times. This was the most awful gale Hiram, at least, had ever been out in. And for the four of them to raise the light ladder was one of the most serious tasks one could imagine. Meanwhile the silo was weaving back and forth in a threatening manner. Hiram had selected a ladder long enough to enable him to reach the upper ring intended for the second cable. Two of his helpers had to hold the ladder steady, however, while the other handed him the end of the wire cable. It took more than half an hour of hard fighting to secure both ends of the two wire ropes. [Illustration: Two of his helpers had to hold the ladder steady while the other handed him the end of the wire cable.] The silo rocked back and forth, the vibrations seeming, of course, much greater than they really were. But the cables--or good workmanship--held it in place. The four got back to the living shack and cowered therein in darkness for another two hours before the wind really ceased blowing. The rain had stopped long since, and beyond the hurrying shreds of cloud the moon and stars appeared. Drenched as everything had been by the first tempest, the ground was now fast becoming dry. The water drained away quickly from the knoll on which the Sunnyside buildings stood. As soon as the danger from the big wind was over, however, Hiram had thought for another thing. He lit a lantern and said to Orrin: "Come on down the road and take a look." "Who for? That Ad Banks? If he's drowned in the ditch I wouldn't much care." "I'd forgotten all about him," confessed Hiram. "But come on. I want to look at something." Curiously Orrin followed him while the old man and the boy sought their bunks. The rain had washed and rutted the road deeply. The ditches were carrying the surplus water off, however. At the first cross-drain through the recently planted corn and pea field Hiram flashed the light of his lantern into the ditch. A stream of water the size of his leg was spurting from the opening.