x, once the three young desperadoes had departed to seek
new pastures for exploiting their evil natures; "where could we carry
these packages you've got done up? And while we're on our way, perhaps
you could get the rest of your stock ready. We'll fetch back the empty
baskets."

The poor cripple's peaked face glowed with renewed hope, for he had
been hovering on the brink of despair.

"Oh! how glad I am you came when you did," he said, in trembling tones;
"I would have lost everything I had in the world, between the water and
those young ruffians. One of them even had the audacity to ask me why
I had bothered cleaning out my cash drawer. If I could only move my
stuff up the hill to Mr. Ben Rollins' print shop I'm almost sure he
would find a corner where I could store the packages until the river
went down again, for he is a very good friend of mine."

"All right," said Steve, "and we know Mr. Rollins well, too. I've even
helped him gather up news for his weekly paper, _Town Topics_. So load
up, fellows, and we'll see what can be done. It wouldn't only take a
few trips to carry this lot of stuff up there."

Each boy took all he could carry and started off, while the
store-keeper commenced hurriedly packing the balance of his stock in
trade into bundles, pleased with the new outlook ahead, and grateful
for these young friends who had come so unexpectedly to his assistance
in his darkest hour of need.

After all it was hardly more than fun for Max and his comrades, because
they were all fairly stout fellows, and accustomed to an active outdoor
life. They were back again before the owner of the little shop
expected they could have gone half the distance.

"It's all right, sir," Bandy-legs hastened to assure Mr. McGirt; "the
editor of the paper happened to be there, hurrying out some handbills
warning people to prepare for the worst that might come; and he said
you were quite welcome to store your stuff in his shed. He only wished
everybody else down in the lower part of town could save their
belongings, too; but there's bound to be an awful loss, he says. Now,
let's load up again, fellers; I feel that I could stagger along under
what I've gathered together here; and this trip ought to pretty well
clean things up, hadn't it, Max?"

"I think it will," replied the other, also collecting a load as large
as he believed himself able to carry. "And if I can find our man with
his wagon, Mr. McGirt, I'll have him