p. "Shout, Dick, and let your
mother see you're here. Come, cheer up, Mrs Tallington; there's a warm
welcome for you yonder from the wife; the water will soon go down, and
we're going to try and protect ourselves from such mischief coming
again."

The squire was right; there was a warm welcome waiting for the homeless
neighbours, to whom, after a good, snug, and hearty breakfast,
everything looked very different from what it had seemed during the long
dark stormy watches of the night.

[Wall, in fen-lands, the artificial bank or ridge of clay raised to keep
back river, drain, or sea.]

CHAPTER FIVE.

THE ROMAN BANK.

It was like standing on a very long low narrow island, with the
peculiarity that one side was sea, the other inland lake. The sun shone
brilliantly, and the punt in which the squire, Farmer Tallington, Dave,
Warren, Hickathrift, and the two lads had come was lying on the inner
side of the sandy ridge covered with thin, wiry, harsh grass.

This ridge formed the island upon which they stood, in company with some
sheep and cattle which had instinctively made their way to the high
ground as the water rose.

The tide was down now; a great deal of the water had drained away, and
the party were standing by a great breach in the bank through which at
high-tide during the storm the sea had made its way.

"I can't quite understand how it could have broken through here," said
the squire; "but I suppose it was quite a small crack at first, and the
water soon washed it bigger."

There was a great channel at their feet, cut clean through the
embankment; and though the party were standing amongst the sand, they
could see that the bank which protected the fen from the sea, and ran up
alongside of the river, running inland, was formed of thick clay, matted
with the long roots of the grass.

"Who was it made this great bank, father?" said Dick.

"Your old friends you read about at school, they say, the Romans, first;
but of course it has been added to since. Well, neighbour, we can do no
good by ourselves. We must call together the adventurers, and it can
soon be mended and made stronger than it was at first. Let's go back.
Unless we have a gale, no more water will come through this. It's years
since I've been here. If one had taken a look round one would have seen
the weak spot."

They re-entered the punt, and Hickathrift poled them back, being
relieved in turn by Dave and Warren, by whose solita