water is going down."

The first speaker jerked his finger up the creek. "They say that Honck's
dam is liable to break at any minute," he answered slowly. "It's a
mighty old dam, and has been threatenin' to give 'way fur the last ten
years. It's a big high one, too, and has a heap of timber in it. Just as
surely as that mass of stuff comes down the creek with a volume of
water behind it, this pier will go to pieces and down will come the
bridge."

"Do you really think the dam will break?" asked Ned.

"It's ten to one," was the reply. "They say the edges are giving way
now. You fellows had better get off the creek afore it's too late. Them
cockleshell boats won't stand much."

With this warning the speaker climbed up the pier, followed by his
companion, and both disappeared in the bridge. The boys lifted their
paddles from the water and went swiftly on with the current for the time
being.

"These rustics have exaggerated the danger, I'll bet anything," said
Randy. "If Honck's dam was going to break it would not have waited until
the flood was half way down."

"I don't know about that," replied Ned. "The danger may be very real."

He had given the dam some attention while the canoes were being carried
around it on the previous Wednesday, and he now remembered with secret
uneasiness that it was very high and rotten, and held in check a vast
volume of water. Terrible would be the consequences if this were
suddenly to be freed.

"What are we going to do?" asked Nugget uneasily.

"That man warned us to leave the creek, and he knew what he was talking
about."

"We can't very well take his advice now," replied Ned, "for there is no
landing place in sight."

"There is no use in stopping at all," exclaimed Randy, "if the object is
to wait for the dam to break. We might be detained for a week, and then
find that the dam was as strong as ever. And besides we could hear the
noise in time to get out of the way. All we need to do is keep our ears
open and look behind from time to time."

"Even if the dam should break the chances are that with such a current
as this we could keep ahead of the flood," suggested Clay. "Don't you
think so, Ned?"

"I'm afraid that's doubtful," replied. Ned. "At all events I don't think
I should care to run a race with the flood even on a start of half a
dozen miles. For the present we had better follow Randy's advice and
keep our eyes and ears open. If we find a suitable place I am in fav