As he galloped along, his mind worked. He observed the valley widen, in places, and he hoped the flying lake would spread, and so lose some of that tremendous volume 4. With this hope, he galloped on, and reached Poma Bridge five miles and a half from the reservoir. Here to his dismay, he heard the hissing thunder sound as near to him as when he halted on the hill above Dumflask; but, owing to a turn in the valley, he could see nothing. At the bridge itself, he found a man standing, without his hat, staring wildly up the valley. He yelled to this man, "Dam is burst! Warn the village — for their lives run on to Hillsborough - when you are out of breath, send on another. You'll all be paid at the town-hall." - 5. Then, he dashed across the bridge. As he crossed it, he caught sight of the flying lake, once more. He saw the white wall strike Dolman's farm; there was a light in one window, now. He saw the farm-house, with its one light, swim bodily, then melt and disappear, with all the poor souls in it. 6. He galloped on,- his hat flew off,- he came under the coiner's house, and yelled a warning. A window was opened, and a man looked out. "The flood! the flood! Fly! Get on high ground, for your lives!" 7. All landmarks were gone; houses, trees, hedges,all were swept away; roads, covered three feet thick with rocks, and stones, and bricks, and carcasses! The pleasant valley was now one horrid quagmire, in which he could take few steps, without sticking, or stumbling against some sure sign of destruction and death; within. the compass of fifty yards, he found a steam-boiler and its appurtenances, a dead cow, and the body of a wagon turned upside down, the wheels of which were afterward found fifteen miles from the body. 8. Not far from this, Ransome found Little, working with the tears in his eyes. He uttered a shout of delight and surprise, and, taking Little by both shoulders, gazed earnestly at him, and 9. Strange sights, they saw that night. They found a dead body curled around the top frame of a lamp post, and, in the suburbs, another jammed between a beam and the wall of a house. They found some houses with the front wall carried away, and, on the second floor, such of the inmates as had survived, huddled together in their night-clothes, unable to get down. These, Ransome and his men speedily relieved from their situation. 10. At Poma Bridge, the devastation was horrible. The flood had bombarded a row of fifty houses, and demolished them so utterly that only one arch of one cellar remained; the very foundations were torn up, and huge holes of incredible breadth and depth were bored by the furious eddies. 11. Where were the inhabitants ? Ransome stood and looked, and shook like a man in ague. 66 Little," said he, "this is awful. Nobody in Hillsborough dreams of the extent of this calamity. I dread the dawn of day. There must be scores of dead bodies hidden in this thick mud, or, perhaps, swept through Hillsborough into the very sea." 12. Daybreak realized his worst fears; between Poma Bridge and the first suburb of Hillsborough, the place was like a battle-field; not that many had been drowned. on this spot, but that, drowned all up the valley by the flood at its highest, they had been brought down and deposited on the thick layer of mud left by the abating waters. 13. Between Poma Bridge and Hillsborough, the flood had wasted itself considerably in a broad valley; but still it had gone through Hillsborough twelve feet high, demolishing and drowning. Its terrible progress was marked by a layer of mud a foot thick, dotted with rocks, trees, wrecks of houses, machinery, furniture, barrels, mattresses, carcasses of animals, and dead bodies, most of them stark naked, the raging flood having torn their clothes off their backs. 14. Just before the suburb of Allerton, the ground is a dead flat; and here the flying lake had covered a space a mile broad, doing frightful damage to property, but not much to life, because, wherever it expanded, it shallowed in proportion. In part of this flat, a gentleman had a beautiful garden and pleasure-grounds the night before; they were now under water, and their appearance was incredible; the flood, expanding here, and then contracting, had grounded large objects and left small ones floating. 15. In one part of the garden, it had landed a large wheat-rick, which now stood as if it belonged there, though it had been built five miles off. In another part was an inverted summer-house and a huge water-wheel, both of them great travelers that night. In the large fish-pond, now much fuller than usual, floated a wheelbarrow, a hair mattress, an old wooden cradle, and an enormous box or chest. Little went splashing through the water to examine the cradle, and was richly rewarded. He found a little child in it, awake, but perfectly happy, and enjoying the fluttering birds above, and the buoyant bed below, whose treacherous nature was unknown to him. Charles Reade (abridged). XXX. THE CHILDREN OF HENRY THE FIRST, LIGHT sped a bark, from Gallia's 1 strand, Across the azure main ; And on her deck a joyous band, A proud and courtly train, 1 An ancient name of France. Surrounded Albion's 1 princely heir, Who toward his realm returned; 2. It was a fair and glorious sight With floating streamers, glittering bright The smooth sea blessed her as she flew, As if each crested billow knew What wealth her bosom held. 3. But, strangely, o'er the summer sky, And hollow winds, careering high, Loud thunders roll, wild tempests rave What is yon wreck amid the wave? 4. See! see! amid the foaming surge The Prince is safe, but to his ear There came a distant shriek, Which to his strained eye brought the tear, 5. That voice! 'twas by his cradle side, It ruled his wrath, it soothed his pride, ancient name of England |