river course, swept
upon us right to our lips, and but for the strength of our stone
breastwork we must have been borne away.

As it was, we were standing by it, some on either side, and all clinging
together. We withstood the heavy wrench that the water seemed to give,
and held on, the only one who lost his footing being Jack Penny, who was
dragged back by the doctor as the wave passed on.

"Enough to pull your arms out of the socket," whined Jack dolefully. "I
say, please don't do it again. I'd rather have to swim."

Higher and higher came the water, icily cold and numbing. The wave that
passed was succeeded by another, but that only reached to our waists,
and when this had gone by there was the old slow rising of the flood as
before till it was as high as our knees. Then by degrees it crept on
and on till I was standing with it reaching my hips.

A fearful silence now ensued, and the thought came upon me that when the
final struggle was at hand we should be so clasped together that
swimming would be impossible and we must all be drowned.

And now, once more, with the water rising steadily, the old stunned
helpless feeling began to creep over me, and I began to think of home in
a dull heavy manner, of the happy days when I had hardly a care, and
perhaps a few regrets were mixed with it all; but somehow I did not feel
as if I repented of coming, save when I thought that my mother would
have two sorrows now when she came to know of her loss.

Then everything seemed to be numbed; my limbs began to feel helpless,
and my thoughts moved sluggishly, and in a half dreamy fashion I stood
there pressed against, the rock holding tightly by the doctor on one
side, by Jimmy on the other, and in another minute I knew that the
rising water would be at my lips.

I remember giving a curious gasp as if my breath was going, and in
imagination I recalled my sensations when, during a bathing expedition,
I went down twice before Jimmy swam to my help and held me up. The
water had not touched my lips--it was only at my chest, but I fancied I
felt it bubbling in my nostrils and strangling me; I seemed to hear it
thundering in my ears; there was the old pain at the back of my neck,
and I struggled to get my hands free to beat the water like a drowning
dog, but they were tightly held by my companions, how tightly probably
they never knew. Then I remember that my head suddenly seemed to grow
clear, and I was repeating to myself t