roke the heart of our brave old friend Cap'n Cod."

The justice of this disposition of the money was so evident that not a
single dissenting voice was raised among those who had found it, for
they all knew that an effort to trace it to its rightful owners would
not only be fruitless, but would cost more than the entire amount.

The knowledge that his father was thus to be recompensed for the loss
of which he had been the direct cause so raised Winn Caspar's spirits
that when daylight came, although their situation remained unchanged,
he felt himself to be one of the very happiest boys in all Louisiana.

The coming of daylight, while gladly hailed by the occupants of the
wrecked raft, also disclosed the extent of the devastation caused by
the flood. As they had surmised, the _Venture_ was stranded at the
foot of the huge stone bagasse-burner. The mill near by was partly
demolished. The great house, standing amid its clumps of shrubbery and
stately trees, a quarter of a mile away, was surrounded by water that
rose nearly to the top of the stone piers by which it was supported.
The quarters and other out-buildings had disappeared. Even at that
distance they could see a throng of refugees on the verandas and at the
windows of the great house.

"Unless speedy relief comes they will starve," said Mr. Manton,
anxiously, "for our provisions had nearly run out yesterday."

"We are in about the same fix," said Billy Brackett, who had been in
earnest consultation with Solon. "I didn't realize until this minute
that we had given away nearly the whole of our own supply. Now I find
that the few things we had left are under water, and most of them are
spoiled."

At this announcement every one suddenly discovered that he was
intensely hungry; while Bim, seated on his haunches and waving his
fore-paws, began to "speak" vigorously for his breakfast.

CHAPTER XL.

A MEETING OF MATES.

With starvation staring our raftmates in the face, the problem of how
they were to escape from their present predicament became a most
important one. The first suggestion was that they construct a small
and easily managed raft from a portion of the material contained in the
_Venture_. They foresaw that it would be impossible for them to propel
even this against the swift current and reach the river, where they
might procure relief from some passing boat. Still, even to drift with
the current, or at the best to work their way diagonal