Part 38 (2/2)

In spite of his interest in the pearl work, Colin began to feel the strain of the steady and persistent grind required from him by Dr

Edelstein, who hi of July, moreover, the weather turned wet, and the rain poured down steadily, not heavily, but soaking the ground thoroughly For a week or so no notice was taken of the rain, other than the discomfort it caused, but one day Colin overheard one of the head workers saying to the superintendent:

”It looks as though we ht have trouble unless there's a let-up to the rain soon!”

”I'rave tone of the answer surprised Colin; ”and I hear that it's raining in torrents in Montana”

”We're safe enough, I suppose,” was the comment

”Yes,” the superintendent answered, ”but hundreds of other people are not Floods always catch some of them”

This was an idea that had not occurred to Colin The word ”flood” called up a host of graphic ideas, and a flood on the Mississippi, the largest river in the world flowing through a populated country, seemed a serious matter He spoke of it to his friend of the paddlefish investigation

”Yes,” the other answered, ”there have been many scores of lives lost and many millions of dollars swept away on the 'Father of Waters,' and I doubt if the tier will be at an end Remember that the Mississippi River Valley is the only water outlet for two-thirds of the entire United States”

”It's protected by levees, too, isn't it?” Colin queried ”At least, during the flood on the Mississippi, you always hear of the levees breaking or just going to break”

”They give way very seldoineering, for there are sixteen hundredbuilt up clear from Illinois to the Gulf”

”Then where are the floods one hears of so often?”

”There are bad floods on the Ohio,” was the reply, ”and there is always danger when a flood tide coive way, or as they say, if a 'crevasse' comes, thousands of square miles are inundated, hundreds of people made homeless, and the property loss is incalculable All the land around the lower part of the Mississippi is just a flood plain which used to be covered ater every year That land has been rescued from the river just as Holland has been rescued froer every year?”

”There is always danger,” was the reply, ”and the levees are carefully patrolled But during the high water of early suer, and a week's rainto have a bad flood this year unless the rain stops soon”

”But the river isn't rising?”

”Not yet Why should it? It isn't the water that flows directly into the Mississippi, but that which floods the tributaries that causes disaster

Frohanies on the other, and from the Gulf of Mexico to Canada--nearly every drop of rain that isn't evaporated or used by plants has to be carried to the sea by the Mississippi”

”It seereed ”But how can it be made safer?”

”The way is easy,” was the answer, ”but costly If big reservoirs are built on all the headwater streams so that--no matter what the rainfall may be--only a constant amount is allowed to flow out of these reservoirs, then floods will be avoided, there will be plenty of water for irrigation, and a steady depth of water in the channel will extend navigation that is now stopped during loater periods Besides which, it will reat deal easier”

”I don't quite see what it has to do with the fish!+” the boy said

”Supposing five thousand square oes down, at least half that aer connected with the river, but for shallow lakes and pools These are all full of fish As the pools dry up, everything that is in them dies, and millions of food fish are lost”

”But how can we stop that?”

”The Bureau of Fisheries does a great deal to stop it,” was the answer, ”and if this rain holds--though we are all praying that it won't--you'll probably have a chance to see The Bureau seines as many as it can of those bayous and pools and lakes to save the fish and return them to the river If a couple of men can save several thousand fish a day, isn't that worth while? Think of a faret a thousand bushels of wheat in a day! And that's about the proportion of food value”