r," said Polly, "there is a lot of folks over around the dam.
What shall we tell them?"

Kate's heart stopped. She had heard that question before.

"Tell them the truth," said Adam scornfully, before Kate could answer.
"Tell them that Mother opened the sluiceway to save the dam and Father
shut it to hear it roar, and it busted!"

"Shall I, Mother?" asked Polly.

A slow whiteness spread over George's face; he stared down the hall to
look.

"Tell them exactly what you please," said Kate, "only you watch
yourself like a hawk. If you tell one word not the way it was, or in
any way different from what happened, I'll punish you severely."

"May I tell them I held the lamp while Adam got you out of the water?"
asked Polly. "That would be true, you know."

George turned to listen, his face still whiter.

"Yes, that would be true," said Kate, "but if you tell them that, the
first thing they will ask will be 'where was your father?' What will
you say then?"

"Why, we'll say that he was so drunk we couldn't wake him up," said
Polly conclusively. "We pulled him, an' we shook him, an' we yelled at
him. Didn't we, Adam?"

"I was not drunk!" shouted George.

"Oh, yes, you were," said Adam. "You smelled all sour, like it does at
the saloon door!"

George made a rush at Adam. The boy spread his feet and put up his
hands, but never flinched or moved. Kate looking on felt something in
her heart that never had been there before. She caught George's arm,
as he reached the child.

"You go on to school, little folks," she said. "And for Mother's sake
try not to talk at all. If people question you, tell them to ask
Mother. I'd be so proud of you, if you would do that."

"I WILL, if you'll hold me and kiss me again like you did last night
when you got out of the water," said Polly.

"It is a bargain," said Kate. "How about you, Adam?"

"I will for THAT, too," said Adam, "but I'd like awful well to tell how
fast the water went, and how it poured and roared, while I held the
light, and you got across. Gee, if was awful, Mother! So black, and so
crashy, and so deep. I'd LIKE to tell!"

"But you WON'T if I ask you not to?" queried Kate.

"I will not," said Adam.

Kate went down on her knees again, she held out her arms and both
youngsters rushed to her. After they were gone, she and George Holt
looked at each other an instant, then Kate turned to her work. He
followed: "Kate--" he began.

"No use!" said