the spot where our abode stood. For
a long way we paddled on easily enough, only taking care not to run
against stumps of trees, and as we got nearer the settlement, stakes or
ruined buildings were our chief danger. Too many evidences met us on
either side that the water had increased considerably since the previous
day. In vain our eyes ranged around, in no direction was our cottage
visible. We must have mistaken the locality. The current was here very
strong, we thought that we might have drifted down further than we had
calculated on doing. We went further west, and then steered south,
where the current was less strong. After going some way, Malcolm
stopped paddling suddenly, and exclaimed--

"Look, Harry! look there! Do you know that tree?"

"Its head is very like one that grows close to the house," I answered.

We had both mechanically turned the head of the canoe in the direction
in which he pointed. We had been engaged in fastening a flag-staff to
the tree near our house. A minute would decide whether this was it.
Our hearts sank within us, our paddles almost dropped from our hands,
when we perceived among the bare branches the rope and the pole which we
had been about to erect. Where was our cottage? where our kind father
and the faithful Sam? Not a vestige of the cottage remained, it had too
evidently been carried away by the flood.

"Had they been able to escape with the cattle?" was the question we
asked each other. We hoped they might; but still it was too possible
that our father would have persisted in remaining in the house, as a
sailor will by his ship, to the last, and Sam, we knew, would never have
deserted him. We could just distinguish the heads of some strong
palings above the water, marking the position of our cottage. We made
fast to the tree for a few minutes to rest and recover ourselves, and to
consider what course to pursue. We naturally turned our eyes towards
the rising ground in the south-west, to which our father intended to
drive the cattle. It seemed a long, long way off, still we determined
to attempt to reach it. We felt thankful that the farmer's wife had
supplied us with provisions, though we were too anxious just then to be
hungry. We left the tree and paddled on, but it was very hard work, for
there was a current against us setting towards Lake Winnipeg; but the
canoe was light, and as there was no wind we managed to stem it.
Hitherto the sky had been bright,