29 The secret passage
　　As Jack¹ was speaking, there came the most tremendous clap of thunder he was ever to hear in hislife. It made him jump violently and cling to Bill. It was the loudest noise he had ever heard.
　　With it came a flash of lightning that lighted up the hills around for miles upon miles. Therethey were, unbelievably clear and somehow unreal, for half a second. Then they went back intopitch darkness again. But a queer feeling ran through all three when the flash came.
　　Bill suddenly pulled them back a little. ‘I think the castle has been struck!’ he said. ‘Yes, it has– look!’
　　One of the towers, lit up by the next flash, was seen by the two boys to be in the act of falling!
　　In a second it was gone as darkness came back again. Then, through the insistent² thudding of therain, came the sound of the crashing of stone upon stone, as the tower fell to the ground.
　　‘The storm is absolutely on top of us!’ shouted Jack. ‘Let’s go back to the hidden room, Bill.
　　I’m afraid. I felt that flash of lightning, I’m sure I did. Bill, the thunder is in the courtyard, it is, itis!’
　　Bill was almost inclined to believe that it was, as it rolled round in rumbling³ crashes. Thenanother flash came, and once more the three felt a queer shock, as the lightning seemed to flashthrough them.
　　‘I believe if we hadn’t got rubber-soled shoes on we’d have been struck dead!’ thought Billsuddenly. ‘Gosh, the castle has been struck again – this time the main building. It will be in ruinsif this goes on!’
　　He hustled⁴ the boys back to the steps that led to the hidden room. Down they went, and thenpaused in awe⁵ – for now it seemed as if the castle itself was falling!
　　Hurriedly Bill pulled at the spike⁶ that shut the entrance. He felt he would like to have solidstone between him and the storm now. With relief he saw the stone slide sideways and upwards,and the entrance was closed.
　　Almost immediately there came a terrific sound of falling stone, crashing on to stone below, andthe room shook.

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