Part 9 (1/2)
At length, as he saw Harry still standing below him, not being aware that the water was over his ankles, he slid down.
When Hector discovered that he must jump into the water, he attempted to climb back again. This, however, from his alarm, and from being unaccustomed to climb, was more than he could do, and down he slid, Harry catching him at the bottom.
”Now run for it!” cried the latter, seizing him by the arm, and they made towards the ladder, the water hissing and foaming at their heels.
CHAPTER ELEVEN.
THE BOYS TAKE REFUGE IN A TREE--THE HOUSE CARRIED AWAY--DESTRUCTION OF CATTLE--A COW CAUGHT IN THE BOUGHS--A NIGHT UP THE TREE--HARRY KEEPS UP THE SPIRIT OF THE PARTY.
The flood came roaring up, carrying everything in its course on either side of the ground over which the lads were making their way. Hector had begun to cry out when he saw how high the water was.
”It won't wash us away yet, never fear,” exclaimed Harry, dragging him along. It was almost up to their knees, however, before they reached the ladder.
”You go up first,” said Harry. ”Be quick about it; I'll follow.”
Hector began to climb the ladder much slower than Harry liked, for as he looked round he saw a huge wave, far wider, though not so high as that which first appeared, roaring and leaping as it came down the river.
Trees and fences, which had hitherto withstood the flood, gave way before it.
”Quick, quick,” cried Harry, shoving Hector up, ”it will be upon us in a few seconds, and may carry the ladder away.”
On it came, surging up against the walls of the house. Reggy caught hold of Hector's hand and handed him up on the branch.
”We must get higher up than this,” he shouted; ”look there! look there!”
Harry again turned round. The house seemed literally to melt away before the flood. The water rose around it, and then, as the wave rushed on, the fragments of the walls and roof were seen floating on mixed with articles of furniture, chairs, tables, and bedsteads. Now the wave surged against the tree. Harry had just time to spring on to the branch, and to secure the ladder by a rope when the lower end was lifted, and it would have been carried away by the flood had it not thus fortunately been secured. The lads watched the various articles as they floated by, hopelessly lost, for in a few minutes they would be driven by the current against the trunks of trees, or the rocks, and would be dashed to pieces.
By climbing out to the end of a branch Harry was able to see where his father and uncle were standing, and to make a signal to them that he and his cousins were safe. This must greatly have relieved the mind of the captain and his brother, though they probably still considered the lads in greater danger than they themselves were inclined to believe that they were.
Several trees had been uprooted and carried along by the torrent, and theirs might share the same fate. Harry returned again to the end of the branch, and found that his father and uncle had gone away to look after the party on the hill.
Harry now proposed that they should get higher up, for the water had already risen several feet above the ground, and might in a short time be up to the branch in which they sat. Higher and higher they got.
”When is it going to stop?” cried Reggy. ”Harry, do you think this is such a flood as that which drowned all mankind except Noah's family?”
”I'm very sure it is not,” answered Harry. ”G.o.d promised never to send such another, and put His bow in the clouds as a token. I have heard of many such floods in this country, though this, to be sure, is higher than any we have known, and I cannot account for it; but I have not the slightest doubt that it will stop before long, though no doubt it will have done a great deal of damage. That cannot be helped. It might have come on at night, and we might all have been washed away before we knew where we were, or fifty other things might have happened. We have reason to be thankful, as matters might have been worse.”
”I don't see how that could be,” cried Hector. ”To have to take refuge in a tall tree, cut off from all help, without anything to eat or drink, is as bad as one can well conceive.”
”Come, come, don't grumble; it never makes a person happy, though it is said there are some fellows who are never happy unless they are grumbling, but I don't believe that.”
”But if the flood does not subside before night, where are we to sleep?”
asked Hector.
”Why, up in the boughs, like birds or 'possums, to be sure,” answered Harry. ”By-the-bye, we may find a 'possum, and he may serve us for supper.”
”But how can we get a fire to cook him?” inquired Reggy with a slight suspicion that Harry was quizzing his brother.
”Oh, as to that, we must eat him raw; but many a sailor, wrecked on a desert island, has had to live on worse fare,” said Harry.