s best to be done."

The boys hurried back; but before they had got up to the top of the bank
the roaring sound had greatly increased, and Harry was more convinced
than before that a heavy flood was approaching.

CHAPTER TEN.

ALARMING PROGRESS OF THE FLOOD--THE CAPTAIN REMOVES HIS FAMILY TO HIGHER
GROUND--THE BOYS, IN THEIR EAGERNESS TO SAVE MORE PROPERTY, ARE CUT OFF
BY THE WATER.

Directly on receiving the information brought by Harry and Reggy,
Captain Berrington hurried down to the river, followed by Hector, Rob,
and Edgar. Presently, as they looked up the dry bed between the high
banks, they saw a wall of water moving on towards them, such, on a
smaller scale, as might have been beheld by the Egyptians when
attempting to cross the Red Sea. But this was high enough to overwhelm
any human beings, or horses or cattle, which might have been in its way.
The summit hissed and foamed, rising almost to the top of the bank. No
streams advanced before it: it was literally a wall of water. On it
came, its roar growing louder and louder. In less than a minute after
it had been seen it rushed by, filling the whole bed of the river, and
sending its surges up those portions of the bank which sloped more
gradually.

"Back, back, boys!" shouted the captain.

They had to run as quickly as their legs would carry them to avoid the
torrent. Where the ground had just before been perfectly dry there was
now a hissing, foaming torrent of yellow water, carrying along branches
of trees, and even big trunks. The captain, who had been joined by his
brother, watched it anxiously.

"I had hopes that this was merely the result of a thunder-storm up the
country," he observed; "but see, it continues to rise, which shows me
that there must be a vast volume of water behind what there is here. We
have some cattle feeding on the low land higher up; I trust that White
has had the discretion to drive them to the upper ground."

"I fear some animals have been caught, if not ours," observed Mr
Berrington. "There go the bodies of two heifers. See, here comes a
third."

The captain was silent for a few minutes. "Harry!" he exclaimed, "run
and tell Sandy to put the horses in all the drays, and bring them down
here."

"What's that for?" asked Mr Berrington, as Harry ran off to obey the
order.

"The river once came up within three feet of the house. Had it risen a
foot higher it would have flooded the whole ground. It may rise