n.

As the drays had not arrived, Reggy offered to set off to hurry them on.

"We intend to take you for a morning drive," exclaimed Mr Berrington to
his wife, in as cheerful a voice as he could command.

"But why should we leave the house?" she asked.

"Merely as a matter of precaution," answered the captain. "It is
possible that the water may reach close up to us, and the ground between
this and the ridge is lower, so that we should have a difficulty in
crossing it should the house be flooded."

"Here come the drays," cried Rob, who had been looking out for them.
Harry was driving one, Reggy another, and Bendigo a third. Sandy and
the men had galloped off to gather in the cattle on the higher ground,
and Bendigo and Harry had had a hard matter to put to the horses, which
had caused the delay.

"There is no time to be lost now," whispered the captain to his brother.
"We will load the drays as fast as we can. You shall drive your wife
and mine, with the young children; the rest of us will follow as soon as
we can."

Without a moment's delay the drays were loaded. Biddy and Betty, as
Harry declared, "worked like troopers." The trunks and boxes having
been put in, their bedding was placed on the top of them. Still there
was all the furniture and various articles which it seemed a pity to
leave to the mercy of the flood.

"You go on, father," cried Harry to the captain, "with the girls; Reggy,
Hector, and I, with Biddy and the blacks, will soon load up with a few
more things and quickly overtake you."

The captain, who was anxious to place the girls in safety, with a
portion of their property, trusting to Harry's discretion, followed his
advice.

"Don't delay," he shouted, pointing to the water, which was already
overflowing the kitchen-garden, though it had not yet reached the road
they were to cross. Hector was ashamed to ask to go with the captain,
though he would infinitely rather have done so. He, indeed, exerted
himself far more than he had ever been known to do before.

Biddy and Betty were as active as ever, carrying out all sorts of
things, some of which might have been left behind, until Harry and Reggy
pointed out what was considered of most value. Already the dray was as
full as it could hold. Bendigo shouted out that it was time to be off,
and jumped on the seat.

"We go now, we go now!" he cried.

Biddy and Betty clung to the hinder part of the dray, struggling in vain
to get in.