John had his torch, but there was no need to use it, for a long, flickering glare of lightning showed them the grey wet mass of the mate’s tent on the ground with something struggling under it. They lifted the end of the tent where the door had been. Mate Susan and Able-seaman Titty crawled out on all fours, the able-seaman dragging the parrot’s cage, which had lost its blue cloth.
“Come into our tent, quick,” Nancy shouted in the roaring of the wind.
“What about our things?” shouted Susan.
“And Polly’s blue cloak?” shouted Titty.
“Wet anyway. Leave them,” shouted Nancy, and indeed it was the only thing to do.
Shielding the parrot from the wind and rain as best she could, Titty ran into the Amazons’ tent, where she found Peggy, who was very glad to see her. Susan followed.