Page:Restless Earth.djvu/8

Harley momentarily expected the chimney to come crashing through the roof as he made his way hurriedly to the door. The instinct to live was strong within him. He ran through the hall.

He caught a glimpse of Ginger, the cat, bounding from the gully to the higher land. He followed the example of the animal and bounded over the porch-railing into a neglected flower bed, then raced for the higher ground behind the house. If the house should slide into the gully he would be above it, instead of underneath it.

He fancied he heard muffled subterranean rumblings, and his fancy lent him speed. He vaulted a wire fence, partially concealed by a healthy growth of eleagnis, and landed in the four-acre pasture upon which his affluent neighbour kept two house cows. It was only by chance that he did not land upon the recumbent form of the labourer whom the affluent neighbour was employing to repair the wire fence.

“Hello,” the labourer greeted him cheerfully. “Nice morning for exercise.”

“Er—yes,” agreed Harley lamely, smiling rather shamefacedly as he realised that the earth tremor had subsided to the faintest vibration. “Quite.”

“Bit ’ot, though.”

The labourer rolled over and elevated himself upon one elbow. He became alert. He stared at the ground.

“What’s that?” he demanded. “Earthquake?”

“Yes. Didn’t you feel it?”

The labourer sat up.

“No. There ain’t been no shake up ’ere,” he answered positively. “I’ve been ’ere all the morning.”

He rose to his feet, and Harley offered him a cigarette.

The labourer yawned, accepted the cigarette with a muttered word of thanks, and became informative.

“These little shakes I never feel nowadays. Used to be a time when any little bit of a bump would get me winging, but since the Murchison shake, year