ertainly made of sterner
stuff than most men. I was told a funny anecdote of him a few days
ago, which I am sure you have never heard, otherwise you would have
told it to me, for there used to be no secrets between us, Charley--
alas! I have no one to confide in or advise with now that you are
gone. You have often heard of the great flood; not Noah's one, but
the flood that nearly swept away our settlement and did so much damage
before you and I were born. Well, you recollect that people used to
tell of the way in which the river rose after the breaking up of the
ice, and how it soon overflowed all the low points, sweeping off
everything in its course. Old Mr Seaforth's house stood at that time
on the little point, just beyond the curve of the river, at the foot
of which our own house stands, and as the river continued to rise, Mr
Seaforth went about actively securing his property. At first he only
thought of his boat and canoes, which, with the help of his son Peter
and a Canadian, who happened at the time to be employed about the
place, he dragged up and secured to an iron staple in the side of his
house. Soon however, he found that the danger was greater than at
first he imagined. The point became completely covered with water,
which brought down great numbers of half-drowned and quite-drowned
cattle, pigs, and poultry, and stranded them at the garden fence, so
that in a short time poor Mr Seaforth could scarcely move about his
overcrowded domains. On seeing this, he drove his own cattle to the
highest land in his neighbourhood, and hastened back to the house,
intending to carry as much of the furniture as possible to the same
place. But during his short absence the river had risen so rapidly
that he was obliged to give up all thoughts of this, and think only of
securing a few of his valuables. The bit of land round his dwelling
was so thickly covered with the poor cows, sheep, and other animals,
that he could scarcely make his way to the house, and you may fancy
his consternation on reaching it to find that the water was more than
knee-deep round the walls, while a few of the cows and a whole herd of
pigs had burst open the door (no doubt accidentally) and coolly
entered the dining-room, where they stood with drooping heads, very
wet, and apparently very miserable. The Canadian was busy at the back
of the house, loading the boat and cano