. She made her little daughter sleep in her own room, while Leslie
was placed in one much nearer her own than that he had previously
occupied.

"Good night, Leslie," said Mrs Price, kissing him; "be sure and not
forget to say your prayers, for we all need God's help."

Leslie had no idea how long he had been asleep, when he started up in
bed with an undefinable impression that something was wrong. He sat
rubbing his eyes, and but half awake--a confused sound, he knew not
what, fell upon his ear; it seemed as if some dreadful strife was
going on outside his window, something seemed in a terrible fury,
raging wildly.

As his senses became more collected, he listened, and then he heard
sounds which made him at once spring from his bed, slip on his
trousers, and rush to the window; he hurriedly forced it open, and
looked out. The night was still dark, and the wind still high, but
something unusual was taking place in the playground directly
underneath where he stood; for a minute or two he could not make out
what it could be, but as his eyes grew more accustomed to the
darkness, he could distinctly make it out to be the surging and
roaring of water, which appeared to increase even as he gazed.

"Why," he thought, "the banks have given way, and the river has
overflown--the house will be washed away."

Then his thoughts instantly reverted to Mrs Price and Maud, perhaps
they were unacquainted with the danger which threatened them, which
must be greater than his, for their room was on a lower floor. Without
a moment's thought about the risk he might possibly run, half dressed
as he was, he opened his room-door, and groped his way down stairs as
quickly as he could.

He could hear the water dashing up against the stairs, how far down he
knew not, but, judging from the sounds which it made, he concluded it
must be very near Mrs Price's bedroom; this fact made him hurry
faster, and not quite so cautiously as before, the consequences of
which was his slipping down a number of the stairs, and falling plump
into the water, which had already reached the landing; it was not
deep, however, so he was quickly upon his feet again, and a moment or
two after hammering with might and main at the door of the room in
which Maud and her mamma were sleeping.

"Who is there?" came Mrs Price's voice.

"I, Leslie Ross."

"What do you want?"

"You and Maud must get up directly, the river has overflown, and the
house is surrounded by wat