Year: 1874

On the way to it they came on two dead bodies, an old man of eighty and child scarce week old. One fate had united these extremes of human life, the ripe sheaf and the spring bud. It ! transpired afterwards that they had been drowned in different parishes. Death, that brought these together, disunited hundreds. Poor Dolman's body was found scarce mile from the house, but his wife's eleven miles on the other side of Hillsborough and this wide separation of those who died in one place by one death, was con- stant, and 8 notable feature of tue tragedy.

 At last they got to the house, and Little shuddered at the sight of it; here not only was the whole front wall taken out, but part of the back wall the jagged chimneys of the next house still clung to this miserable shell, whose upper floors were slanting sieves. and on it's lower was deep layer ot mud, with the carcass of huge SOW lying on it, washed in there all the way from Hatfield village.

 The people had all run away from the house, and no wonder, for it seemed in- credible that it could stand a single moment longer. Never had ruin come so close to demolition and then stopped.

 There was nothing to be done here, and Ransome went back to Hills borough, keeping this side the water.

 Daybreak realized his worst fears between Poma Bridge and the first su- burb of Hillsborough the place was like battlefield; not that many had been drowned on the spot, but that, drowned all up the valley by the flood at it's highest, they had been brought down and deposited in the thick layer of mud left by the abating waters.

 Some were cruelty gashed and man gled by the hard objects with which they had come in contact.

 Others wore peaceful expression and had color in their cheeks. OAe drew tears from both these valiant men. It was a lovely little girl, with her little hands before her to keep out the sight of death. -

 Here and there, hand or ghastly face appearing above the mud showed how many must be hidden altogether, and Ransome hurried home to get more assistance to disinter the dead.

 Just before the suburb of Allerton the ground is dead fiat, and here the flying lake had covered space mile broad, doing frightful damage to prop erty but not much to life, because wherever it expanded it shallowed in proportion.

 In part of this flat gentleman had a beautiful garden and pleasure-grounds over night they were now under wa ter, and their appearance was incredi- ble the flood expanded here and then contracting, had grounded large objects and left small ones floating. In one part of the garden it had landed large wheat-rick, which now stood as If 1t be- longed there, though it had been built five miles off.

 In another part was an inverted sum- mer-house and huge water-wheel both of them great travellers that night.

 In the large fish pond, now much full CT than usual, foated wheelbarrow, hair mattress, an old wooden cradle, and an enormous box or chest.

 Little went splashing through the water to examine the cradle; he was richly rewarded. He found a little child in it awake but perfectly happy, and enjoying the futtering birds above and the buoyant bed below, whose treacherous nature was unknown to him.

 Little and Ransome carried the child away, and it was conveyed to the hospi- tai and healthy nurse assigned 1t.

 Ransome prevailed on Little to go home, change his wet clothes and lie down for an hour or two. He consent ed, but first gave Ransome an order to lay out thousand pounds, at his ex- pense, in relief of the suffers. lI.

 Then he went home, sent message to Raby Hall that he was all right, took off his clothes, rolled exhausted into bed, and slept till the afternoon. -,