A BREACH IN THE BANK 119 



Doctor Sam had been stopped by the flooded 

 roads on his way home, and lights shone in the win- 

 dows as he entered the village. He turned a little 

 out of his way and halted in front of a small cottage 

 near the bridge. 



" Is Joe here ? " he asked. 



"No," answered the mother; " he went down the 

 meadow for muskrats and has not returned yet. He 's 

 probably over with the men at the store." 



Doctor Sam drove on to the store. 



There was no boy in yellow oil-skins in the store. 



Doctor Sam picked up a lighted lantern. 



" Come on/' he said; " I 'm wet, but I want a look 

 at those sluices," and started for the river, followed 

 immediately by the men, whom he led in single file 

 out along the bank. 



Swinging his lantern low, he pushed into the teeth 

 of the gale at a pace that left the line of lights strag- 

 gling far behind. 



" What a night ! " he growled. " If I had a boy 

 of my own " and he threw the light as far as he 

 could over the seething river and then down over the 

 flooded meadow. 



Ahead he heard the roar of Five-Forks sluice, and 

 swung his lantern high, as if to signal it, so like the 

 rush of a coming train was the sound of the waters. 



But the little engineer in yellow oil-skins could 

 not see the signal. He had almost ceased to watch. 

 With his arm cramped about his gun, he was still 



