Part 8 (1/2)

”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.

”Off with you,” exclaimed Harry; ”we will follow on foot.”

Bendigo cracked his whip, and his horses dashed forward at such a rate that it was a wonder the dray did not immediately capsize. Harry watched it anxiously as it went down a dip from which there was a gentle rise. Already a stream of water was running through the hollow, but it looked a mere rivulet, not half a foot deep, which could be pa.s.sed over with a good spring.

”It is a pity we should not get a few more goods,” said Harry; ”although I don't believe the water will reach the house: yet, if it does, everything will be spoiled, if not washed away.”

They hurried through the rooms, picking up whatever they thought most valuable. Even Hector was inspired with a desire to save something, especially several articles belonging to himself. Harry had taken a run into the kitchen, where he discovered some dampers, which Biddy in her alarm had forgotten to remove from the ashes.

”It is a pity to lose these,” said Harry, clapping them into the pockets of his jacket--good capacious ones, as every bushman's should be. There was, besides, a pot of yams, by this time completely cooked.

”Here, Reggy, stow some of these away,” he cried out. ”The chances are that we shall not have too much to eat on the top of the hill there, unless Biddy has been more thoughtful than she appears to have been when she left these. What she could have been about I don't know!”

So busily were they engaged that they did not hear the increased roar of the waters.

”Come, you fellows, it's time to be off, I'm sure,” cried Hector, who had been feeling very nervous all the time.

”Just half a minute longer,” answered Harry; ”I must lash these things up.”

Hector, however, would not stop, and rushed out of the house. Directly afterwards he came back, looking very pale.

”The water is rus.h.i.+ng through the hollow like a mill-sluice!” he exclaimed; ”we shall lose our lives if we attempt to cross.”

Harry and Reggy followed him out. He spoke too truly. They were cut off from what was now the mainland by a foaming torrent twelve yards or more in width, which was carrying along fruit-trees, rocks, and palings, whirling them round and round so that it would be impossible to swim across or to wade, even should the depth allow of their doing so.

Hector threw down his load and wrung his hands.

”Stay!” cried Harry, ”we've got a ladder! we may get across by that.”

They all three ran back for it, and attempted to throw it across, but the channel was too wide, and it was almost torn from their grasp. It would have been lost had not Harry fastened a rope to the lower round, by which it was hauled in.