IN THE FLOOD
For a moment all was confusion inside the big automobile. Mr. and Mrs.
Brown got up and dressed hastily. Bunny and Sue thought little of doing
that until Sue, feeling cold around her bare legs, called to her
brother:
"Wrap yourself up in a blanket, Bunny, like an Indian."
"What's going on?" yelled Uncle Tad, from his bunk.
"That's what we're trying to find out," said Mr. Brown.
"Seems to me we're afloat," added Uncle Tad. "We certainly are at sea."
"It does feel so," agreed Daddy Brown, for the automobile was bumping
along the roadway, and the motor was not running, either. Something was
either pushing or pulling it.
Just then came the howls and whines of the two dogs, Dix and Splash.
They had been left out on the front seat of the car, with big curtains
hung in front of them so no rain could splatter on them.
"Oh, something's the matter with them!" cried Bunny Brown, and in a few
minutes he had opened the window back of the seat and let the frantic
dogs leap into the auto. They barked joyfully now, and frisked about
Bunny and Sue.
With the opening of the window, however, came in a gust of wind and rain
that made Mrs. Brown call:
"Children you'll catch dreadful colds! Get right to bed this instant."
"Oh, Mother, we want to stay up and see what's going to happen," said
Bunny. "Maybe the automobile might tip over."
"And if we were in bed we'd be all upside down and tangled in the
clothes," added Sue. "Please let us stay up! We'll wrap in blankets like
Indians."
"Better let them get dressed," said Mr. Brown in a low voice to his
wife. "There's no telling what has happened."
"What do you think?" and her voice was anxious.
"Well, it feels as if we were in a stream of some sort, partly afloat.
Let the children get dressed," answered her husband.
Bunny Brown and his sister heard and hastened to their curtained-off
bunks. Meanwhile Uncle Tad had closed the window near the front seat and
that kept out the wind and rain. And it was raining and blowing hard.
Those in the cosy car could hear the drops dash against the panes, while
the wind howled around the corners of the machine.
The automobile itself was bumping along as if, indeed, it was floating
down some stream, or had gone to sea like one of Mr. Brown's boats. The
dogs had ceased their whining now.
"I guess they were scared, out there all alone," said Bunny, when he was
nearly dressed. "I'm glad they're in here with us now."
"So am I," said Sue, as she came out into the sitting room, where Mother
Brown had turned on the electric lights. It was a bit cool in the auto,
for the storm had taken all the heat from the air, but there was danger
in lighting one of the stoves. Though he did not let the children know,
Mr. Brown thought there might be a risk of fire if the gasolene stove
were lighted, because the big car might overturn.
"Now to see what it's all about," said Mr. Brown, when he and Uncle Tad
were fully dressed. "We'll find out if we are adrift on the Atlantic or
Pacific ocean, and how to get to shore."
He was putting on his rubber boots and raincoat, and Uncle Tad was doing
the same thing. Then Mr. Brown got a lantern and lighted it, for he was
going to open the back door of the car to look outside, to see where the
flood was taking them. For he was sure now, by the motion of the
automobile, that the heavy rain had turned a small stream, near which
they had stopped for the night, into a small-sized river, and that had
risen high enough, or had come down with force enough, to sweep the big
auto-van ahead with it.
But no sooner had Mr. Brown and Uncle Tad opened the back door of the
automobile, that a gust of wind blew out the lantern, for there was a
hole in the glass enclosing the flame and the wind puffed right through
the lantern.
"Well, I can't very well see in the dark," said Mr. Brown, as he came in
to light the lantern once more. "It's a very strong wind."
Again he opened the door, but in a second the lantern was blown out once
more. Only the electric lights, kept aglow in the car by the storage
battery, remained gleaming.
"I ought to have one of those pocket flash lights," said Mr. Brown. "I
meant to get a strong one, but I forgot it."
"I have one, Daddy," said Bunny.
"Where? Give it to me!" called his father quickly. "We must do something
at once."
"I don't know where it is," Bunny had to confess. "I was playing with it
the other day, but I must have left it somewhere----"
"Never mind, I'll try the lantern again," said Mr. Brown.
"It's sure to blow out," said Uncle Tad.
"Perhaps we can paste something over the hole," suggested Mrs. Brown.
"Oh, Daddy," cried Sue, "take my Teddy bear! Her eyes will give you
almost as much light as Bunny's flashlight. Maybe more, 'cause she has
_two_ eyes. She won't mind the rain, for I can put on her water-proof
cloak."
"Hum! That isn't such a bad idea," said Mr. Brown. "We'll try it. Bring
out your Sallie Malinda Teddy bear, Sue. Her eyes will certainly need to
shine brightly to-night, for it's very dark. It's a good thing you have
her along."
"I'll find my flashlight to-morrow," promised Bunny.
"I'll get one myself then," said his father. "No telling when we might
need it."
All this while the big automobile was slowly bumping and moving along.
Uncle Tad and Mr. Brown took Sue's Teddy bear. By pressing on a button
in the toy's back the eyes shone brightly, two electric lights being
behind them.
"Does Sallie Malinda give a good light, Daddy?" asked Sue, as her
father got ready to open the door again.
"Yes, little girl. It will be all right, and the wind can't blow out
Sallie's eyes, no matter how hard it puffs."
With the Teddy bear as a lantern Mr. Brown again went out. This time the
wind did not matter, though it seemed to be blowing harder than ever.
Uncle Tad followed Mr. Brown out on the rear steps of the car. They shut
the door behind them to keep out the rain.
"Why, it's a regular flood!" cried Uncle Tad, as the Teddy bear's eyes
flashed on swirling and muddy water.
"That's what it is," said Daddy Brown. "Say, we've got to do something!"
he cried to his uncle. "And we've got to do it soon. We'll have to
anchor--tie the auto to a tree or something. This flood may carry us
down to the big river just below!"