But the storm-clouds, turning white and then black, moved down so quickly that they had to quicken their pace to get home before the rain.
The foremost clouds, lowering and black as soot-laden smoke, rushed with extraordinary swiftness over the sky.
They were still two hundred paces from home and a gust of wind had already blown up, and every second the downpour might be looked for.
The children ran ahead with frightened and gleeful shrieks.