our boat, sir? No. Be smart, my lads. It can't be very far
away. All eight of you, oars out, and we must keep our head to it so as
we can ride over the big wave and let it pass under us. I don't suppose
there will be much of it. It's a sort of flood water coming down from
yonder after the storm, and it will soon be over. Don't you worry about
it, gentlemen. It will be nothing to a big wave at sea."

The men made ready with all the discipline of a trained crew, and heads
were turned in the direction of the increasing sound, while it seemed
hard to believe, in the midst of the brilliant sunshine, with the smooth
river gliding onwards as if to meet the supposed wave, that there could
be anything wrong.

The expected danger had seemed to be close at hand, but it had been far
more distant than the party had supposed, for the roar went on steadily
increasing, but with no other suggestion of peril save the noise, though
that was enough to make the stoutest-hearted there quail.

It seemed an age, but was certainly less than an hour, before the dull
heavy roar began to be mingled with a strange crashing and breaking
sound which puzzled all, till the coxswain, who was standing up in the
bows, boat-hook in hand, announced that it was the breaking of trees and
crashing together of their branches as they were being torn up by the
roots.

"Impossible!" said the doctor impatiently.

"Nay, sir, it aren't," said the man. "I don't mean the big trees, but
the little 'uns along the banks; and it's getting close here, sir. It's
a big flood, that's what it is, coming down from the mountains, for
there must be some inland. There! Look yonder. Can't you see the
trees beginning to wave? It's just as if a lake had broke loose and was
coming sweeping over the country. You, Harry Briggs, hold fast to that
tiller. You others, look at your work, and pull. Turn your heads, you
lubbers! I'll do all the looking out. And when I say row, every
mother's son of you pull for his life."

Joe Cross's words were beginning to sound indistinct before he had
finished, half-smothered as they were by the increasing roar, as from
far down the river a dark line of something could be seen rising some
six or eight feet like a huge bank extending right across the river and
apparently into the forest on both sides.

For as far as eye could reach the trees seemed to be in a strange state
of agitation, the lower branches bending towards the party