Year: 1873




mind wholly given to the con
Germs of the dairy, and the making o1
orange malmalade Gertrude, knowing


that something was wrong, but scarcely


guessing what, nestled up to my side


and to my great joy her father did not
rebuke her


And thus we sat for along time, Meth.


er of us speaking a word, but listening


to the falling rain and bowling wind


without, and to the great forest trees as
their branches were swayed and tossed


by the blast. Anon came another sound
"a loud vet soothing murmur, like the
signing of a summer breeze amid a cork
wood.


No one seemed to notice it but me, and
only did so as wondering how so gen
tie and so musical a murmur could make
itself audible above the uproar of the
wind and tempest. Suddenly, however,
there broke upon our ears the dashing
open a gate, and mans voice shout
ing:


sAIaster Martin, if you value your life,
look sharp! The river has overfowed
| its banks, and the water is out .


Then we heard the splash, splash,
splash of the horses feet, as the warning
visitor rode away.


''Water out impossible :" muttered
! the old farmer "Why, bless my heart,
the river was not on a level with the
banks by some inches this morning, and
we've had no rain to speak of since


''9Ou don't know what weather it has
been among the mountains Mr. Martin,
said |, Heavens the warning was a
timely one. We have not a moment to
lose.


We all bent our heads down and lis
tened, and now we could hear hollow,
gurgling sound under our feet, and little
jets of spray leaped up from between the
creyices of the flooring.


The house, according to the common
custom in the colonies, was built on
piles, and thus the down stairs rooms
were about four feet from the ground.
between which and us the angry waters
were now fretting and fuming, and
dashing against the stout woodwork
with a momentarily increasing power.
The women began to cry, and the farm
er was too stupified to move.


'SThis win never do, !" / said ''there is
not a moment to lose. | can take one of
you up behind me on my horse, and
know that Carlo and ! viii get through
it somehow. The rest had better get up
or, if possible, on the roof-and with
the first peep of dawn I'll send boat to
bring you off. Now, who am | to take
charge of 2"


| was very much afraid he would bid
me take the old lady, but to my great
relief, both the parents cried out:


''Saye Gertrude."


| lost no time in acting | flew down
the four steps that led to the garden, and
with the water above my Napoleon boots.
made my way to the stable. Mine was
the only steed therefor Australian set
tiers seldom stable their horses-and he,
poor fellow, was very miserable and
frightened


did not stop to reassure him, but led
him round to the house door in min
ute; and then Gertrude, after bidding a
weeping adieu to her parents, sprang up
behind me and away we dashed.


IL was, indeod, a wild fearful night
the moon shone brightly, but every min
ute or two its light was obscured by
black, pall-like clouds, that were teem-
ing with mad velocity across the sky,
and then it was so dark | could not see
my horses head before me.


La the brief intervals of CHASTITY white
light, could see that we were surround /
ed by a sea of waters, and that scarcely
a speck of dry land was to be seen. /
True, they were as yet very shallow,
scarcely above Carlos knees, but knew
how rapidly they would deepen. and l
urged the good horse in the direction of
the town.


Gertrude's arm encircled my waist,
and she chung tightly to me with fear.
Often | turned my head to speak to her
"a few words of encouragement and hope,
but ! was too anxious to secure hersafe-
ty and my own to say much.


She was warmly bundled up in shawls
and wraps, and, as she was an excellent
horseman, had no fear of her falling
off, though the wind was blowing hard
enough to whirl her from her seat.


Before we had got more than a mile
from the farm, the rain commenced
with redoubled fury, and in few mo-
moments we were wet through. The
wind, too, grew from gale to hurri-
cane, and amid the continuous roar of
the thunder and the flash of the pale
lightning through the air, we now and
then heard a mighty crash, as some
monarch of the plain fell prone to the
earth


Suddenly flash of lightning darted
right in front of Carlos eyes, and, with
a snort of fear. he reared nearly up
ward.


''Hold fast, Gertrude! !" l cried, en-
deayoring to throw my arm around her
to keep her from slipping off.


| was too late-she had fallen.
heard a splash in the water, cry, and
the darkness hid her from my sight
Just, however, as | was about to give
away to dispair, another flash revealed
her to be standing amid the flood, at not
a dozen yards distance.


| sprang toward her, and presently she
was again ON Carlos broad back.


The excitement of this event, and the
turning of my horse round and round,
had made me forget the proper direction
to the town, so that we now rode on, not
knowing whether we were heading.


Meanwhile, the flood grew deeper each
moment, and presently discovered that
Carlo was swimming. | had not felt fear
until now: but / must say that which
ever way / guided my charger he could
not touch the ground. | knew that,
weighted as he was, he could not keep
aloft long, and each moment seemed to
sink deeper and deeper in the water.


At this critical juncture of affairs the
moon shone out again, and lighted up
the scene as though it had been broad
daylight. As far as the eye could
reach, not speck of dry land was now
visible but, to my great joy / perceived
close by blue-gum tree, whose boughs
were so disposed as to be easily scaled.


''Do you think YOU can climb that
tree, Gertrude ?" / asked. 1T is our
only chance of preserving our lives
now"


She answered feebly in the affirma-
tive, and with some little difficulty !
SWAN Carlo alongside. Under the tree
he regained his footing, and | was glad
of this, as he was enabled to stand for
my poor little companion to climb into
the branches from, his back. .st-


When she had accomplished this feat,
took off his bride, SO that he should
not catch his feet in it if he had to swim
for his life, and then Gertrude and i got
some twenty feet higher up in the blue