ood, I was to try
to summon them. But our district is so thinly peopled, that I had little
faith in this; however my errand was given me, and I set forth upon it;
for John Fry was afraid of the waters.

Knowing how fiercely the floods were out, I resolved to travel the
higher road, by Cosgate and through Countisbury; therefore I swam my
horse through the Lynn, at the ford below our house (where sometimes you
may step across), and thence galloped up and along the hills. I could
see all the inland valleys ribbon'd with broad waters; and in every
winding crook, the banks of snow that fed them; while on my right the
turbid sea was flaked with April showers. But when I descended the hill
towards Lynmouth, I feared that my journey was all in vain.

For the East Lynn (which is our river) was ramping and roaring
frightfully, lashing whole trunks of trees on the rocks, and rending
them, and grinding them. And into it rushed, from the opposite side, a
torrent even madder; upsetting what it came to aid; shattering wave with
boiling billow, and scattering wrath with fury. It was certain death to
attempt the passage: and the little wooden footbridge had been carried
away long ago. And the men I was seeking must be, of course, on the
other side of this deluge, for on my side there was not a single house.

I followed the bank of the flood to the beach, some two or three hundred
yards below; and there had the luck to see Will Watcombe on the opposite
side, caulking an old boat. Though I could not make him hear a word,
from the deafening roar of the torrent, I got him to understand at last
that I wanted to cross over. Upon this he fetched another man, and the
two of them launched a boat; and paddling well out to sea, fetched round
the mouth of the frantic river. The other man proved to be Stickles's
chief mate; and so he went back and fetched his comrades, bringing their
weapons, but leaving their horses behind. As it happened there were
but four of them; however, to have even these was a help; and I started
again at full speed for my home; for the men must follow afoot, and
cross our river high up on the moorland.

This took them a long way round, and the track was rather bad to find,
and the sky already darkening; so that I arrived at Plover's Barrows
more than two hours before them. But they had done a sagacious thing,
which was well worth the delay; for by hoisting their flag upon the
hill, they fetched the two watchmen from the