11. “Then he rose up, and took the other one,
And all our men reached out their hungry arms,
And cried out, Throw her, throw her!' and he did;
He threw her right against the parson's breast,

And, all at once, à sea broke over them,
And they that saw it from the shore have said
It struck the wreck, and, piecemeal, scattered it,
Just as a woman might the lump of salt
That 'twixt her hands into the kneading pan

She breaks and crumbles on her rising bread.

12. "We hauled our men in; two of them were dead!

The sea had beaten them, their heads hung down;

Our parson's arms were empty, for the wave

Had torn away the pretty, pretty lamb!
We often see him stand beside her grave;
But 'twas no fault of his, no fault of his.”

JEAN INGELow.

XXVIII.—THE BURSTING OF OUSELY DAM.

HN Ransome started for Ousely reservoir. A smart

JOHN

canter soon brought him in sight of what seemed a long, black hill, with great glow-worms dotted here and there. That hill was the embankment; and the glowworms were the lanterns of workmen examining the outer side of the embankment and prying into every part. The enormous size and double slope of the bank, its apparent similarity in form and thickness to those natural barriers with which nature hems in lakes of large dimensions, acted on Ransome's senses, and gave him a feeling. of security.

2. He rode up to the south side of the embankment, and, giving his horse to a boy, crawled up and looked north. The first glance at the water somewhat shook that impression of absolute security which the outer side

of the barrier had given him. In nature, a lake lies at the knees of the restraining hills, or else has a sufficient outlet. But here was a lake nearly full to the brim, on one side of the barrier, with an open descent on the other. He had encountered a little wind, coming up; here, however, the place being entirely exposed, the wind was powerful, and blew right down the valley, ruffling the artificial lake.

3. Altogether, it was a solemn scene; and, even at first glance, one that could not be surveyed without some awe and anxiety. The surface of the lake shone like a mirror; and waves of considerable size dashed against the embankment with a louder roar than one would have thought possible, and tossed some spray over all; while overhead, clouds, less fleecy now, and more dark and sullen, drifted so swiftly across the crescent moon that she seemed flying across the sky.

4. Having now realized that the embankment, huge as it was, was not so high by several hundred feet as nature builds in parallel cases, and that, besides the natural pressure of the whole water, the upper surface of the lake was being driven by the wind against the upper or thin part of the embankment, Ransome turned and went down the embankment to look at the crack and hear opinions. Several workmen, an intelligent farmer called Ives, and Mr. Mountain, one of the contractors who had built the dam, were all examining it. Mr. Mountain was saying that the crack was perfectly dry, - a plain proof that there was no danger.

5. "Ah," said Ives, "but it has grown larger since tea-time; see, I can get my hand in, now.”

6. "Can you account for that?" asked Ransome of the contractor.

Mr. Mountain said it was caused by the embankment's settling. "Everything settles a little, houses, embank

ments and all. There's no danger, Mr. Ransome, believc

me."

7.

Well, sir," said Ransome, "I am not a man of science, but I have eyes, and I see the water is very high, and driving against the weak part.

opening the sluice-pipes?"

Would you mind

8. "Not in the least, but I think it is the engineer's business to give an order of that kind.”

9. "But he is not here, and professional etiquette must give way where property, and lives, perhaps, are at stake. To tell the truth, Mr. Mountain, I have the advice of an abler man than Mr. Tucker. His word to me was, 'If the water is as high as they say, don't waste time, but open the sluices at once, and relieve the dam.' 10. The workmen, who had said scarcely a word, till then, raised an assenting murmur at the voice of common Mr. Mountain admitted it could do no harm, and gave an order accordingly; screws were applied, and the valves of the double set of sluice-pipes were forced open, but with infinite difficulty, owing to the tremendous pressure of the water. This operation showed all concerned with what a giant they were dealing; while the sluices were being lifted, the noise and tremor of the pipes were beyond experience and conception.

sense.

11. When, after vast efforts, they were, at last, opened, the ground trembled violently, and the water, as it rushed out of the pipes, roared like discharges of artillery. So hard is it to resist the mere effect of the senses, that nearly everybody ran back, appalled, although the effect of all this roaring could only be to relieve the pressure; and, in fact, now that these sluices were opened, the dam was safe, provided it could last a day or two.

12. By and by, Ransome looked up, and observed a thin sheet of water beginning to stream over the centre of the embankment, and trickle down; the quantity was

nothing, but it alarmed him. Having no special knowledge on these matters, he was driven to comparisons; and it flashed across him that, when he was a boy, and used to make little mud dams in April, they would resist the tiny stream until it trickled over them, and from that moment their fate was sealed. Nature, he had observed, operates alike in small things and great, and this sheet of water, though thin as a wafer, alarmed him. He thought it better to give a false warning than withhold a true one; he ran to his horse, jumped on him, and spurred away.

13. His horse was fast and powerful, and carried him in three minutes to Emden's farm. The farmer had gone to bed. Ransome wakened him, and told him he feared the dam was going; then galloped on to Hatfield mill. Here he found the miller and his family all gathered outside, ready for a start; one workman had run down from the reservoir.

14. "The embankment is not safe," he cried.

"So I hear. I'll take care of my flour and my folk. The mill will take care of herself." And the miller pointed, with pride, to the solid structure and granite pillars.

15. Ransome galloped on, shouting as he went.

The shout was taken up ahead, and he heard a voice crying in the night, "It's coming! It's coming!" This weird cry, which, perhaps, his own galloping and shouting had excited, seemed like an independent warning, and thrilled him to the bone. He galloped through Hatfield, shouting, "Save yourselves! save yourselves! and the people poured out, and ran for high ground, shrieking wildly; looking back, he saw the hill dotted with what he took for sheep, at first; but it was the people in their night-clothes.

16. He galloped on to Dumflask, still shouting as he

went. At the edge of the hamlet, he found a cottage with no light in it; he dismounted, and thundered at the door, "Escape for your lives! for your lives!" A man called Hillsboro' Harry opened the window.

"The embankment is going. Fly for your lives!"

66

Nay," said the man, coolly. "Ousely dam will not burst this week," and turned to go to bed again.

XXIX.- BURSTING OF OUSELY DAM CON

RANSON

CLUDED.

ANSOME had not gone many yards, when a sharp explosion was heard up in the hills. Ransome pulled up, and said aloud, "It will be all right now, thank goodness they have blown up the weir." The words were scarcely out of his mouth, when he heard a loud, sullen roar, speedily followed by a tremendous hiss, and a rumbling thunder that shook the very earth where he stood, although two miles distant.

2. At that appalling sound, that hissing thunder, — Ransome spurred away at all his speed, and warned the rest of the village with loud, inarticulate cries; he could not wait to speak, nor was it necessary. At the top of the hill, he turned a moment, and looked up the valley; soon he saw a lofty white wall running down on Hatfield mill; it struck the mill, and left nothing visible but the roof, surrounded by white foam. Another moment, and he distinctly saw the mill swim a yard or two, then disappear and leave no trace.

3. On came the white wall, hissing and thundering. Ransome uttered a cry of horror, and galloped madly forward to save what lives he might. Whenever he passed a house, he shrieked his warning, but he never drew rein.