114 



WINTER 



^ * breach occur with such a tide as this and it could 

 & never be stopped. 



And now, somewhat past noon, the men were 

 again upon the bank. As they neared Five-Forks, 

 sluice, the central and largest of the water-gates, 



w,V 



of. 



they heard a smothered boom above the scream 

 the wind in their ears. They were startled; but it ^ 

 was only the sound of a gun somewhere off in the v 

 meadow. It was the gun of the boy in the oil-skins. 

 Late that afternoon Doctor " Sam," driving home 

 along the flooded road of the low back swamp, 



/ 



caught sight, as he came out in view of the river, of 

 a little figure in yellow oil-skins away out on the 

 meadow. 



The doctor stopped his horse and hallooed. But 



