eard within the mills. At some points these miniature icebergs blocked
the falls and held the waters in check until, instead of cascading over
the dam, they spread inland, inundating the shores. The float before
Ted's door was covered and at night, when all was still and his windows
open, he could hear the roaring of the stream, and the impact of the
bumping ice as it sped along. Daily, as the snows on the far distant
hillsides near the river's source melted, the flood increased and
poured down in an ever rising tide its seething waters.

Yet notwithstanding the fact that each day saw the stream higher, no
one experienced any actual anxiety from the conditions, although
everybody granted they were abnormal. Of course, there was more ice in
the river than there had been for many years. Even Grandfather Fernald,
who had lived in the vicinity for close on to half a century, could not
recall ever having witnessed such a spring freshet; nor did he deny
that the weight of ice and water against the dam must be tremendous.
However, the structure was strong and there was no question of its
ability to hold, even though this chaos of grinding ice-cakes boomed
against it with defiant reverberation.

In spite of the conditions, Ted felt no nervousness about remaining by
himself in the shack and perhaps every premonition of evil might have
escaped him had he not been awakened one morning very early by a ripple
of lapping water that seemed near at hand. Sleepily he opened his eyes
and looked about him. The floor of the hut was wet and through the
crack beneath the door a thread of muddy water was steadily seeping. In
an instant he was on his feet and as he stood looking about him in
bewilderment he heard the roar of the river and detected in the sound a
threatening intonation that had not been there on the previous day. He
hurried to the window and stared out into the grayness of the dawn. The
scene that confronted him chilled his blood. The river had risen
unbelievably during the night. Not only were the little bushes along
the shore entirely submerged but many of the pines standing upon higher
ground were also under water.

As he threw on his clothes, he tried to decide whether there was
anything he ought to do. Would it be well to call up the Fernalds, or
telephone to the mills, or to the village, and give warning of the
conditions? It was barely four o'clock and the first streaks of light
were but just appearing. Nevertheless, t