rate and enforce his
discourse.

Long before the hour of worship had arrived, however, poor Winklemann
went off in his canoe, and spent the whole of that day, as he spent
several succeeding days, in anxious, diligent, hopeful, but finally
despairing search for his lost old "moder."

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.

THE WAVES STILL RISE, AND MISS TRIM COMES TO GRIEF.

On the night of the 15th the gale broke out again with redoubled fury,
and the stage at the mission station was shaken so much by the violence
of the waves and wind that fears were entertained of its stability,
despite its great strength. The water rose six inches during that
night, and when the vast extent of the floods is taken into account,
this rise was prodigious. The current was also so strong that it was
feared the church itself, with the property and people in its loft,
would be swept away.

Towards daylight a boat was seen approaching. It turned out to be that
of Mr Ravenshaw, containing himself and Lambert, with a crew from
Willow Creek. The house of the old gentleman had, he said, much water
in the lower rooms, so that he had been driven to its upper floor; but
he felt sure of its strength, having himself helped to lay its
foundations. Knowing the danger of those who dwelt in the parsonage, he
had come to offer an asylum to as many as his house would hold. But Mr
Cockran declined to quit his post. The gale was by that time abating,
the cheering daylight increasing; and as he had a large boat of his own
moored to a neighbouring post, he preferred to remain where he was. Mr
Ravenshaw therefore ordered Louis to hoist the sail, and bidding adieu
to the clerical party, returned to Willow Creek.

Of all the household there, Miss Trim had viewed the approach of the
water with the greatest anxiety and Mrs Ravenshaw with the greatest
philosophy. Miss Trim, being an early riser, was the first to observe
the enemy on the morning of its entrance. She came down-stairs and
found the water entering the house quietly by the sides, oozing from
under the boards and secretly creeping along till it covered the floors.
She rushed up-stairs to alarm Mr Ravenshaw, and met that active old
gentleman coming down. He set to work at once to rescue his goods on
the lower floor, while Miss Trim, in great excitement, went and roused
the girls, who leaped up at once. Then she went to Mrs Ravenshaw's
room.

"Oh, Mrs Ravenshaw, get up quick; the flood is coming in at