f, as he had at first intended, it
now began to look as though he and his comrades would be compelled to
seek refuge alongside the girls.

This was not a pleasant thought, for Max could see that the building
was very near the collapsing point as it was, and might topple over at
any minute.

Max was, however, a boy who would accept what fortune offered, and do
the best he could with it. Once on the roof, they could turn their
attention to some other method of escape; at any rate they had no
choice in the matter.

"We've got to climb up where they are, that's plain," he observed; "and
if this stuff strikes the end of the house we'll be lucky enough."

"Then do we have to let it go, and be marooned up there?" asked
Bandy-legs, in a forlorn tone.

"Looks that way," Steve went on to say, and somehow he did not seem to
share the gloom that had gripped Bandy-legs, possibly because it began
to look as though the glorious chance had come at last to show the
girls he could do his duty without any boasting, and never meant to
pose as a great hero.

"But why can't we hold on to some of these timbers, and make a jolly
old raft?" Bandy-legs continued eagerly.

"Hurrah! that's the t-t-ticket!" Toby was heard to remark; "I never yet
read about a R-r-robinson C-c-crusoe but what he made him a r-r-raft!"

"It might be a good idea, boys," admitted Max, "but I'm afraid you'll
find it more than you can manage. Then besides, even if you did get
some of the timbers to stick there, how could you fasten them together
so as to make that raft? Show me your ropes and I'll join in with you
mighty quick. But it isn't going to be the easiest thing going to
climb up that wobbly roof; and we'll all be glad to find ourselves
perching up on that ridge-pole with the girls, I think."

That dampened the enthusiasm and ardor of Bandy-legs considerably.
Like the rest of them he realized that what Max said was about true,
and that they could not expect to pay much attention to the parting
timbers, once they reached the house. It would be all they could do to
get up on the roof.

"Are we going to hit up against it, Max?" asked Steve, struggling
between hope and fear, as they rapidly bore down toward the partly
submerged farm building.

"Yes, there's no doubt about that," came the quick reply; "and come to
think of it, we can get up where they are better by working our way
around to that lower end to the right. Every fellow look out for
hims