t has gone down already," said Harry, as they looked into the tank
again. "But we had better dip out all we can, to make sure. Lucky we
found it as soon as we did, for there are all father's tools on the
bench right under the tank, besides all those new paints that have just
been opened."

"Here comes John now," said Bert, as he heard the barn door open and
shut again.

"Come up here, John!" called Harry; "we're almost flooded out. The tank
overflowed."

"It did!" exclaimed John. "Gracious! I hope nothing is spoiled."

"Oh, we just caught it in tine," Harry told him, "and we opened up the
faucets as soon as we could. Then we began dipping out, to make sure."

"You were smart boys this time," John told him, "and saved a lot of
trouble by being so prompt to act. There is going to be a flood sure.
The dam is roaring like Niagara, and they haven't opened the gates yet."

"I'm glad we are up high," Bert remarked, for he had never seen a
country flood before, and was a good deal frightened at the prospect.

"Hey, John!" called Freddie from the back porch. "Hey, bring me some
more nails, will you? I need them for my ark."

"He's building an ark!" laughed Bert. "Guess we'll need it all right if
this keeps on."

Harry got some nails from his toolbox in the carriage house, and the
boys went up to the house.

There they found Freddie on the hard cement cellar floor, nailing
boards together as fast as his little hammer could drive the nails in.

"How's that?" asked the little fellow, standing up the raft.

"I guess that will float," said Bert, "and when it stops raining we can
try it."

"I'm going to make a regular ark like the play one I've got home," said
Freddie, "only mine will be a big one with room for us all, besides
Frisky, Snoop, Fluffy, and--"

"Old Bill. We'll need a horse to tow us back when the water goes down,"
laughed Harry.

Freddie went on working as seriously as if he really expected to be a
little Noah and save all the people from the flood.

"My, but it does rain!" exclaimed somebody on the front porch.

It was Uncle Daniel, who had just returned from the village, soaking
wet.

"They can't open the gates," Uncle Daniel told Aunt Sarah. "They let
the water get so high the planks sailed away and now they can't get
near the dam."

"That is bad for the poor Burns family!" exclaimed Aunt Sarah. "I had
better have John drive me down and see if they need anything." "I
stopped in on my way up,