16 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



whatever available implements they might have with 

 them. When they arrived at the dike, they were set 

 to work at once on a certain section, where they re- 

 mained for six hours at a stretch. When the time 

 of duty was over, they received tickets from the 

 commanding officer, stating that they had done the 

 work required ; they were then permitted to return 

 home, and were not liable for service again for 

 another twenty-four hours. This had gone on for 

 some days before our arrival. I noticed that about 

 six thousand people were thus engaged the evening 

 when I first saw the place. I walked nearly two 

 miles along the dike on this occasion. Everywhere 

 the same scene met my eyes : the turbulent waters 

 washing against the long row of white piles the poor 

 people working and toiling. Earnestly, almost silently, 

 the steady work went on, as if they had been part of 

 a trained and disciplined army. I may here remark, 

 to the honour and credit of the people, that in the 

 subsequent disaster, only ten arrests were made at 

 Szegediii during several days. 



I must here pause to explain that the flood-water, 

 extending over hundreds of square miles, was some 

 three feet above the level of the river Theiss. The 

 dike keeping back this vast mass of water was in 

 the rear of the town, the Theiss being on the other 

 side. As yet the flood-waters had no direct communi- 

 cation with the river. The reason of this is as follows : 

 The Theiss is hemmed in, higher up the stream, by 



