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AFLOAT ON THE FLOOD
by
LAWRENCE J. LESLIE
[Frontispiece: They were being swept downstream at a tremendous pace]
M. A. Donohue & Company
Chicago -------- New York
Copyright, 1915, By
The New York Book Company
CONTENTS
CHAPTER
I THE EVERGREEN RIVER ON THE RAMPAGE
II LENDING A HELPING HAND
III ON THE TREMBLING BRIDGE
IV A BRAVE RESCUE
V THE PRICE THEY PAID
VI COMRADES IN DISTRESS
VII THE SUBMERGED FARM-HOUSE
VIII REFUGEES OF THE ROOF
IX PREPARING FOR THE WORST
X "ALL ABOARD!"
XI GOOD CHEER BY THE CAMP FIRE
XII THE WILD DOG PACK
XIII THE DEFENCE OF THE CAMP
XIV UNWELCOME GUESTS
XV BOSE PAYS FOR HIS BOARD
XVI AFTER THE FLOOD--CONCLUSION
AFLOAT ON THE FLOOD
CHAPTER I
THE EVERGREEN RIVER ON THE RAMPAGE
"What's the latest weather report down at the post office, Max?"
"More rain coming, they say, and everybody is as gloomy as a funeral."
"My stars! the poor old town of Carson is getting a heavy dose this
spring, for a fact; nothing but rain, rain, and then some more rain."
"Never was anything to beat it, Bandy-legs, and they say even the
oldest inhabitant can't remember when the Evergreen River was at a
higher stage than it is right now."
"Here comes our chum, Toby Jucklin, and he looks as if he might be
bringing some news with him. Hi! Toby, what's the latest?"
The new arrival, who was somewhat out of breath with hurrying, surveyed
the two boys who stood there awaiting his arrival, with an expression
of almost comical uneasiness on his face. Truth to tell, whenever Toby
became in any way excited, and often when he was perfectly calm, his
tongue played him cruel tricks, so that he stuttered, and stumbled
fearfully; until suddenly stopping he would draw in a long breath, give
a sharp whistle, and having thus obtained a grip on himself often
proceeded to speak as intelligibly as any one.
"M-m-mills and s-s-shops all closed down, so's to let w-w-workers have
c-c-chance to save their h-h-household goods!" he went on to say in a
labored manner.
The boy who had been called Bandy-legs by Max, and whose rather crooked
lower limbs were undoubtedly responsible for the nickname among his
school fellows, gave a whistle to indicate the depth of his feelings.
Toby may have had an obstruction in his vocal cords, but he could run
like a streak; on the other hand, while Bandy-legs could not be said to
have an elegant walk, which some hateful fellows compared to the waddle
of a duck, there was nothing the matter with his command of language,
for he could rattle on like the machinery in one of Carson's mills.
"And," he went on to say, excitedly, "the last news I heard was that
school would have to stay closed all of next week, because the water is
on the campus now, and likely to get in the cellars before the river
goes down again. Which means we'll have a week's vacation we didn't
count on."
Somehow even that important event, which at another time would have
caused the boys to throw their hats into the air with glee, did not
seem to create a ripple of applause among the three young chaps.
Carson was threatened with a terrible disaster, the greatest in all her
history, and even these boys could experience something of the
sensation of awe that had begun to pass through the whole community.
The Evergreen River that ran past the town was already bank-full; and
all manner of terrifying reports kept circulating among the
panic-stricken people of that section of the State, adding to their
alarm and uneasiness. More rain meant accessions to the flood, already
augmented by the melting of vast quantities of snow up in the
mountains, owing to the sudden coming of Spring. Besides this, some
people claimed to know that the great reservoir which supplied water to
many towns, was not as secure as it might be, and they spread reports
of cracks discovered that might suddenly bring about another Johnstown
disaster.
It was a strange spectacle that the three boy friends looked upon as
they stood on the street corner that Saturday morning. Water had
already invaded many of the buildings in the lower section of the town,
and in every direction could be seen excited families moving their
household goods to higher levels.
Horses and wagons were at a premium that morning, and from the way
things looked just then it might not be long before every boat that was
owned within five miles would be needed to rescue people imprisoned in
their homes, or to carry valuable goods out of the reach of the
terrible flood.
The three young fellows whom we meet on this dark morning in the
history of the enterprising little town of Carson were chums who had
for many moons been accustomed to spending their vacations together in
the woods, or on the waters. In all they were five close friends, but
Owen Hastings, a cousin of Max, and who had made his home with him, was
at present away in Europe with another uncle; and Steve Dowdy happened
to be somewhere else in town, perhaps helping his father remove his
stock of groceries from his big store, which being in the lower part of
town was apt to suffer from the rising waters.
In previous volumes of this series we have followed the fortunes of
these chums with considerable pleasure; and those who have been
fortunate enough to have read one or more of these stories will need no
further introduction to the trio. But while they may have passed
through numerous exciting episodes in the days that were gone, the
outlook that faced them now seemed to promise even more thrilling
adventures.
No wonder all of them showed signs of excitement, when all around them
men and women were moving swiftly to gather up their possessions, or
standing in groups watching the swiftly passing flood, if their homes
chanced to be safely out of reach of the river's utmost grip.
A heavy wooden bridge crossed the river at Carson. This had withstood
the floods of many previous Springs, but it was getting rather old and
shaky, and predictions were circulating that there was danger of its
being carried away, sooner or later, so that the more timid people kept
aloof from it now.
The four chums had only a short time before returned from an Eastern
camping trip up amidst the hills about fifteen miles from town. They
had experienced some strange adventures while in camp, most of which
hinged upon an event that had taken place in Carson one windy night,
when the big round-top of a visiting circus blew down in a sudden gale,
and many of the menagerie animals were set free.
At the time of their home-coming the boys had certainly never
anticipated that there would be a renewal of activity in such a short
time. Why, it seemed that they had hardly become settled again at
their studies when the rapid rising of the Evergreen River on Friday
night brought the town of Carson face to face with a threatened
disaster that might yet be appalling.
"Does anybody know where Steve is?" asked Max, when they had been
observing the remarkable sights that were taking place all around them
for some little time, now laughing at some comical spectacle, and again
springing to help a little girl who was staggering under a heavy load,
or a woman who needed assistance, for all of them had generous hearts.
"He told me early this morning that his father had a dozen hands
employed carrying the stuff up out of the basement of the grocery store
and taking it to the second story," Bandy-legs replied.
"I wish I'd known that," remarked Max; "for I'd have offered to help,
because my house happens to be well up on the highest ground in town,
and nothing could hurt us, even if the reservoir did burst, which I
surely hope it won't."
They exchanged uneasy glances when Max mentioned the possibility of
that disaster coming upon the unhappy valley, which would suffer
seriously enough from the flood without that appalling happening coming
to pass.
"D-d-don't mention it, Max, p-p-please," said Toby, with a gloomy shake
of his head; "because while my f-f-folks might be out of d-d-danger
from a regular f-f-flood, if a monster wave of water came a
s-s-sweepin' along down here, it'd sure ketch us, and make our
p-p-place look like a howling wilderness."
"Same with me," added the third boy; "but I don't believe that
reservoir's goin' to play hob with things, like some people say.
They're shaking in their shoes right now about it; but if the new rain
that's aheadin' this way'd only get switched off the track I reckon
we'd manage to pull through here in Carson without a terrible loss.
I'd say go down and help Mr. Dowdy, Max, but I just heard a man tell
that everything in the cellar had been moved, and they were cleaning
out the lower floor so's not to take chances."
"But we might get around and see if we couldn't help somebody move,"
suggested Max; "it would be only play for us, but would mean a whole
lot to them."
"S-s-second the motion," assented Toby, quickly. "And say, fellows, I
was just thinking about that poor widow, Mrs. Badger, and her t-t-three
children. Her house is on low g-g-ground, ain't it; and the water must
be around the d-d-doorsill right now. G-g-give the word, Max, and
let's s-s-scoot around there to see."
Max was the acknowledged leader of the chums, and as a rule the others
looked to him to take command whenever any move was contemplated.
"That was a bright thought of yours, Toby," he now said, as he shot a
look full of boyish affection toward his stuttering chum; "if you do
get balled up in your speech sometimes, there's nothing the matter with
your heart, which is as big as a bushel basket. So come on, boys, and
we'll take a turn around that way to see what three pair of willing
hands can find to do for the widow and her flock."
They had to make a little circuit because the water was coming up
further in some of the town streets all the tune, with a rather swift
current that threatened to undermine the foundations of numerous flimsy
buildings, if the flood lasted long.
"Whew! just look out there at the river, would you?" exclaimed
Bandy-legs, when they came to a spot where an unobstructed view could
be obtained of the yellow flood that was whirling past the town at the
rate of many miles an hour, carrying all sorts of strange objects on
its bosom, from trees and logs, to hencoops and fence rails.
They stood for a minute or so to gaze with ever increasing interest at
the unusual spectacle. Then as the three boys once more started to
make their tortuous way along, avoiding all manner of obstacles, Max
went on to say:
"Pretty hard to believe that's our old friend the Evergreen River,
generally so clear and pretty in the summer time, and with such good
fishing in places up near where the Big Sunflower and the Elder
branches join. And to think how many times we've skated for twenty
miles up and down in winter; yet look there now, and you'd almost
believe it was the big Mississippi flowing past."
"And mebbe you noticed," observed Toby, warmly, "how f-f-funny the
b-b-bridge looks with the w-w-water so near the s-s-span. Let me tell
you, if ever she does g-g-get up so's to wash the roadway, g-g-good-bye
to b-b-bridge. I wouldn't want to be on it right then."
"Nor me, either," Max added; "but that bridge has weathered a whole lot
of floods, and let's hope it won't go out this time either; though we
do need a new one the worst kind. But here's the widow's place, boys,
and seems like she does need help. The water's creeping up close to
her door, and inside another hour it would be all over the floors of
her cottage. There she is, looking out now, and with three kids
hanging to her dress. Let's ask her where we could take her stuff near
by. She hasn't got so much but that we might save most of it."
The poor woman looked white and frightened, and indeed there was reason
she should with that flood closing in on her little home and her
helpless family. When the three chums proposed to carry the best of
her belongings to higher ground she thanked them many times. It
happened that she had a friend whose home was not far away, and on a
good elevation; so anything that could be taken there she might have
stored in their barn, where doubtless the friend would allow her to
stay temporarily, until the river receded.
Accordingly the stout boys settled down to business, and were soon
staggering under heavy loads, just as many other people in Carson
chanced to be doing at that time. It was slow and laborious work, and
Max knew that they would never be able to get some of the heavier
articles to a place of safety. Although they did not represent any
great commercial value, still they were all in all to Mrs. Badger.
Just then an idea came into his head which he hastened to put into
execution. An empty wagon was passing, and Max recognized it as
belonging to his father. Mr. Hastings, realizing the need of all the
conveyances that could be obtained, had sent his man down town with the
conveyance, so as to be of assistance to those in distress.
Calling to the man Max soon had him backing up to the cottage, and the
heavier things, such as the cook stove, beds, wash tubs and other
household articles were soon loaded. In this fashion the possessions
of the widow were saved from being water soaked, for before they had
taken the last thing out the river was lapping her doorstep greedily,
and steadily rising all the while.
Having dismissed the driver with his wagon, to go and make himself
useful elsewhere, Max and his two chums were walking slowly along,
wondering what next they might do, when a fourth boy was seen hurrying
toward them.
"There comes Steve," announced Bandy-legs, whose quick eyesight had
discovered the approach of the other chum, "and chances are he's
bringing some news, because he carries the map on his face.
'Touch-and-Go Steve' we call him, because he's ready to fly off his
base at the first crack of the gun; but he's sure got plenty now to
excite him. Hello! Steve, how's things getting on at the store?"
"Oh! my dad's got his stock out of reach of the water, all that could
be hurt by a soaking; and he thinks the brick building will stand if
the reservoir don't give way; but did you hear that the river is above
the danger line by two feet; higher than ever before known, and rising
like a race-horse all the time? Gee whiz! what's the answer to this
question; where's this thing going to end?" and Steve looked at his
three chums as he put this question; but they only shook their heads in
reply, and stared dolefully out on the swiftly rushing river.