"

But when presently he came close enough to see the young boatman
distinctly he stood still in complete amazement, with eyes and mouth
wide open. The sapient Jones had had other things to astonish him
considerably to-day, what with the flood and the tub and the bath, but
this beat all. Here was Alfy tied to the boat, and labouring with
bound wrists to work the skiff along.

"Don't stand staring there!" cried Alfy. "Can't you give me a hand?"

"Well I never!" exclaimed Jones. "Whatever did you tie yourself like
that for?"

"Tie myself!" replied Alfy impatiently; "I didn't tie myself. Come,
cut the rope quickly, and help me along."

"I ain't got no knife!"

"Oh, get mine out of my pocket, and do be quick, please."

"Well, I never did see anything like this afore!" spluttered Jones, as
he tumbled into the boat. "My stars! however did you get tied up like
this 'ere?"

Alfy did not vouchsafe any explanation, but gave him directions as to
getting the knife quickly, and cutting the rope.

"Oh, how jolly!" he exclaimed, as he rose and stretched himself, when,
after several clumsy efforts on Jones' part, he was at last made free.

"Now, can you row?" he continued briskly.

"How fur do 'ee want to go?"

"As far as a tub and a bath----"

"I see 'em!" interrupted Jones gleefully.

"Well, I want to get there, and then to hurry to Mr. Daw for some
things," exclaimed Alfy.

"Things for Fairglen!" asked Jones, "'cos I got 'em, meat and taters
and all!"

"Oh, that's right! Where are they?"

"In the cart, not far off."

"Well, can you row this boat, or shall we tow it along? Perhaps that
will be best."

"Oh, I can pull with the rope," said Jones; "pull the boat and you too;
you look tired enough."

So now, after his hard work, Alfy was able to lie back delightfully at
his ease in the boat, and feel he was being drawn quickly along.

When they reached the two clumsy crafts Alfy had left in the morning he
found them quite high and dry. "The flood is subsiding," he said.
"Perhaps by to-morrow this time the water will all have gone!"

"P'raps it will," was Jones' reply, "and p'raps it won't. But I
'spects reservore's pretty nigh empty now."

"Oh, you've heard it's the reservoir?" exclaimed Alfy. "Do you know
how the water came to flow out?"

"I heerd as how the wall looking this way suddenly bust," answered
Jones, "and the water all rushed down here."

"But don't you know how the wall came to bu