t district, near the rising river, to rouse and
save the poor people from the flood.

"Ten, eh?" cried the policeman. "That's quite a family. Well, don't stop
to put on more than a few clothes. There isn't any time to save things.
The river will be pouring in here soon."

"Some of it's heah already," remarked Jeff, as he saw the water on the
floor.

"Lively now!" called the policeman again. "Here, let me take some of
those," he said, as Jeff's father came out of a bedroom carrying in his
arms two sleepy little colored girls.

The policeman wore a big rubber raincoat, which was dripping wet, and in
the gleam of a light, which Jeff's father made, the wet rubber coat
glistened brightly.

The policeman took the two little sisters of Jeff, and tucked them under
his rubber coat. They were too sleepy to cry, having just been lifted
from bed.

"This will keep you dry," said the officer. "I'll put you in the wagon
and send you to the station house."

"Is yo'--is yo' gwine to 'rest 'em?" asked Jeff.

"Arrest 'em? No. What for?" asked the officer, with a smile, as he
splashed, with his rubber boots, into the puddle of water on the
tenement floor. "They haven't done anything, and you haven't done
anything to be arrested for, have you?"

Jeff looked at the White China Cat, but did not answer.

"I'll just carry these youngsters out to the wagon, and then come back
for more," the policeman went on. "You'll all be kept safe in the
station house, or some place, until the river goes down."

Jeff breathed easier. He was afraid it had been found out that he took
the China Cat. He darted quickly back into his bedroom and began putting
on his shoes. That was all he had taken off when he curled up to go to
sleep. He had only a few clothes, and he slept in them. So did most of
the other children of the tenements in cold weather.

Out into the rain splashed the policeman carrying the two little colored
girls. They were softly crying now, but he comforted them as best he
could, and kept them dry under his coat. The rain was coming down harder
than ever and the roar of the rising river was louder. When Jeff's
father and mother and the other children were ready to be taken out, the
water on the floor of the tenement was up to the policeman's knees.

"You'll have to hurry!" he called to the frightened family. "We have to
rescue a lot of other people. Skip out and get into the wagon and you'll
be safe."

As Jeff and the others made