the flood seemed to sink as quickly as it had come, and we stood
holding hands, listening to the gurgling rush that was rapidly dying
away.

"What is it?" panted Uncle Bob.

"Life. Thank heaven, we are saved!" said Uncle Dick fervently.

"Amen!" exclaimed Uncle Jack. "Why, Dick," he cried, "that great dam up
in the hills must have burst and come sweeping down the vale!"

Uncle Jack was right, for almost as he spoke we could hear voices
shouting "rezzyvoyer;" and for the moment we forgot our own troubles in
the thought of the horrors that must have taken place up the vale.

But we could not stay where we were, half suffocated by the steam that
rose, and, opening the door, which broke away half-burned through, we
stood once more in the long workshop, which seemed little changed, save
that here and there a black chasm yawned in the floor, among which we
had to thread our way to where the stout door had been.

That and the staircase were gone, so that our only chance was to descend
by lowering ourselves and dropping to the ground.

Just then we heard the splashing of feet in the yard, and a voice we
recognised as Pannell cried:

"Mebbe they've got away. Ahoy there, mesters! Mester Jacob!"

"Ahoy!" I shouted; and a ringing cheer went up from twenty throats.

"We're all right," I cried, only nearly smothered. "Can you get a short
ladder?"

"Ay, lad," cried another familiar voice; and another shouted, "Owd Jones
has got one;" and I was sure it was Gentles who spoke.

"How's the place, Pannell?" cried Uncle Dick, leaning out of one of the
windows.

"So dark, mester, I can hardly see, but fire's put right out, and these
here buildings be aw reight, but wheer the smithies and furnace was is
nobbut ground."

"Swept away?"

"Pretty well burned through first, mester, and then the watter came and
washed it all clear. Hey but theer's a sight of mischief done, I fear."

A short ladder was soon brought, and the boxes and papers were placed in
safety in a neighbouring house, after which in the darkness we tramped
through the yard, to find that it was inches deep in mud, and that the
flood had found our mill stout enough to resist its force; but the
half-burned furnace-house, the smithies, and about sixty feet of tall
stone wall had been taken so cleanly away that even the stones were
gone, while the mill next to ours was cut right in two.

There was not a vestige of fire left, so, leaving our further inspection