hought, that of another group of settlers who
had been driven from their flooded houses and were shivering, homeless,
in the night.

When he arrived near enough to take in a full view of the scene,
however, he found it very different from what he expected. True, there
was a large camp-fire burning, such as the one he had left, and around
it were gathered a number of women and children, cold, hungry and wet. A
rough, lean-to tent, made of a sheet of tarpaulin, had been stretched in
order to try to keep off the worst of the downpour, but no shelter
availed.

A few steps farther, on the river bank, was a scene of excitement and
commotion. A large gasoline torch flared into the night, defying the
efforts of the storm to extinguish it, and by the light of this torch,
scores of men were working busily, almost crazily, repairing a cave-in
that threatened every moment to make a new break in the levee.

"Who's that? Another man?" rang out a clear, strong voice, as Ross came
near. "Good! We need men badly, right now."

"It's me, Mr. Levin," answered the boy promptly, as he recognized the
voice, and hurried into the circle of light, "it's me, Ross Planford."

"Howdy, Ross," came the greeting in reply, "all your folks safe?"

"Yes, sir," the boy answered. "It was a narrow shave, though. Rex got us
out just in time."

"Good dog, that," was the terse comment. "I always did like Airedales.
Well, Ross, it's time you got busy. Bring me a pile of empty bags from
Dave's sugar-mill, there."

"Yes, sir," answered the lad, and darted off towards the factory.

Rex followed at his heels, and when, staggering back with his load, Ross
dropped one of the empty bags, the terrier picked it up and came
trotting after, carrying it in his teeth.

"I dropped one, Mr. Levin," said the boy, "I'll go right back for it."

"You don't need to," replied the Weather Forecaster, "your pup retrieved
it for you. See?" and he held up the missing bag.

The engineer in charge of this section of the Mississippi, whose duty it
was to guard the artificial banks or "levees" of the river, was working
on the main break in the levee, with a huge gang of men. In this crisis,
one of the planters, who formerly had been the local Weather Bureau
official, had offered to take charge of the new threatened source of
danger.

At his request, Ross busied himself for some time in bringing empty
bags, which were then filled up with sand and dumped into the cave-in.
Bei