ws the
height gained by the flood above the usual level of the stream)]

At Dunphail, the residence of Mr. Bruce was threatened by the flood, and
that gentleman prevailed on his wife and daughter to quit the house and
seek refuge on higher ground. Before quitting the place, their anxiety
had been extremely excited for the fate of a favourite old pony, then at
pasture in a broad green, and partially-wooded island, of some acres in
extent. As the spot had never been flooded in the memory of man, no one
thought of removing the pony until the wooden bridges having been washed
away rendered it impossible to do so. When the embankment gave way, and
the patches of green gradually diminished, Dobbin, now in his 27th year,
and in shape something like a 74-gun ship cut down to a frigate, was seen
galloping about in great alarm as the wreck of roots and trees floated
past him, and as the last spot of grass disappeared he was given up for
lost. At this moment he made a desperate effort to cross the stream
under the house; the force of the current turned him head over heels, but
he rose again with his head up the river; he made boldly up against it,
but was again borne down and turned over: every one believed him lost,
when rising once more and setting down the waste of water, he crossed
both torrents, and landed safely on the opposite bank.

At night Mr. Bruce says there was something inexpressibly fearful and
sublime in the roar of the torrent, which by this time filled the valley,
the ceaseless plash of the rain, and the frequent and fitful gusts of the
north wind that groaned among the woods. The river had now undermined
the bank the house stood on, and this bank had already been carried away
to within four paces of the foundation of the kitchen tower, and, as mass
after mass fell with a thundering noise, some fine trees, which had stood
for more than a century on the terrace above it, disappeared in the
stream. The operations of the flood were only dimly discovered by
throwing the faint light of lanterns over its waters, and its progress
was judged of by marking certain intervals of what remained of the
terrace. One by one these fell in, and at about eleven o'clock the river
was still rising, and only a space of three yards remained about the
house, which was now considered as lost. The furniture was ordered to be
removed, and by means of carts and lanterns this was done without any
loss. About one o'clock in the