The water came down to their feet, and some of it disappeared in the crack; and the crack itself looked a little larger than when last inspected. Tucker said, gravely, "I don"t like that: but let me examine the valve-house at once." He got down to the valve-house, but before he could ascertain what quant.i.ty of water was escaping Carter called to him, "Come out, for G.o.d"s sake, or you are lost."
He came running out, and saw an opening thirty feet wide and nearly a foot deep, and a powerful stream rushing over it.
The moment Tucker saw that, he cried, "It"s all up, the embankment must go!" And, the feeling of the architect overpowering the instincts of the man, he stood aghast. But Carter laid hold of him, and dragged him away.
Then he came to himself, and they ran across the embankment.
As they started, the powder, which had hung fire unaccountably, went off, and blew up the waste-wear; but they scarcely heard it; for, as they ran, the rent above kept enlarging and deepening at a fearful rate, and the furious stream kept rushing past their flying heels, and threatened to sweep them sideways to destruction.
They were safe at last; but even as they stood panting, the rent in the top of the embankment spread--deepened--yawned terrifically--and the pent-up lake plunged through, and sweeping away at once the center of the embankment, rushed, roaring and hissing, down the valley, an avalanche of water, whirling great trees up by the roots, and sweeping huge rocks away, and driving them, like corks, for miles.
At that appalling sound, that hissing thunder, the like of which he had never heard before, and hopes never to hear again, Ransome spurred away at all his speed, and warned the rest of the village with loud inarticulate cries: he could not wait to speak, nor was it necessary.
At the top of the hill he turned a moment, and looked up the valley; soon he saw a lofty white wall running down on Hatfield Mill: it struck the mill, and left nothing visible but the roof, surrounded by white foam.
Another moment, and he distinctly saw the mill swim a yard or two, then disappear and leave no trace, and on came the white wall, hissing and thundering.
Ransome uttered a cry of horror, and galloped madly forward, to save what lives he might.
Whenever he pa.s.sed a house he shrieked his warning, but he never drew rein.
As he galloped along his mind worked. He observed the valley widen in places, and he hoped the flying lake would spread, and so lose some of that tremendous volume and force before which he had seen Hatfield stone mill go down.
With this hope he galloped on, and reached Poma Bridge, five miles and a half from the reservoir.
Here, to his dismay, he heard the hissing thunder sound as near to him as it was when he halted on the hill above Damflask; but he could see nothing, owing to a turn in the valley.
At the bridge itself he found a man standing without his hat, staring wildly up the valley.
He yelled to this man, "Dam is burst. Warn the village--for their lives--run on to Hillsborough--when you are winded, send another on.
You"ll all be paid at the Town Hall."
Then he dashed across the bridge.
As he crossed it, he caught sight of the flying lake once more: he had gone over more ground, but he had gone no further. He saw the white wall strike Dolman"s farm; there was a light in one window now. He saw the farm-house, with its one light, swim bodily, then melt and disappear, with all the poor souls in it.
He galloped on: his hat flew off; he came under the coiners" house, and yelled a warning. A window was opened, and a man looked out; the light was behind him, and, even in that terrible moment, he recognized--Shifty d.i.c.k.
"The flood! the flood! Fly! Get on high ground, for your lives!"
He galloped furiously, and made for Little"s house.
CHAPTER XLIV.
Little took a book, and tried to while away the time till Ransome"s return; but he could not command his attention. The conversation about Grace had excited a topic which excluded every other.
He opened his window, a French cas.e.m.e.nt, and looked out upon the night.
Then he observed that Grace, too, was keeping vigil; for a faint light shot from her window and sparkled on the branches of the plane-tree in her little front garden.
"And that," thought Henry, sadly, "is all I can see of her. Close to her, yet far off--further than ever now."
A deep sadness fell on him, sadness and doubt. Suppose he were to lay a trap for her to-morrow, and catch her at her own door! What good would it do? He put himself in her place. That process showed him at once she would come no more. He should destroy her little bit of patient, quiet happiness, the one daily sunbeam of her desolate life.
By-and-by, feeling rather drowsy, he lay down in his clothes to wait for Ransome"s return. He put out his light.
From his bed he could see Grace"s light kiss the plane-tree.
He lay and fixed his eyes on it, and thought of all that had pa.s.sed between them; and, by-and-by, love and grief made his eyes misty, and that pale light seemed to dance and flicker before him.
About midnight, he was nearly dozing off, when his ear caught a muttering outside; he listened, and thought he heard some instrument grating below.
He rose very softly, and crept to the window, and looked keenly through his cas.e.m.e.nt.
He saw nothing at first; but presently a dark object emerged from behind the plane-tree I have mentioned, and began to go slowly, but surely up it.
Little feared it was a burglar about to attack that house which held his darling.
He stepped softly to his rifle and loaded both barrels. It was a breech-loader. Then he crawled softly to the window, and peered out, rifle in hand.
The man had climbed the tree, and was looking earnestly in at one of the windows in Grace"s house. His attention was so fixed that he never saw the gleaming eye which now watched him.
Presently the drifting clouds left the moon clear a minute, and Henry Little recognized the face of Frederick Coventry.
He looked at him, and began to tremble.
Why did he tremble? Because--after the first rush of surprise--rage, hate, and b.l.o.o.d.y thoughts crossed his mind. Here was his enemy, the barrier to his happiness, come, of his own accord, to court his death.
Why not take him for a burglar, and shoot him dead? Such an act might be blamed, but it could not be punished severely.
The temptation was so great, that the rifle shook in his hands, and a cold perspiration poured down his back.
He prayed to G.o.d in agony to relieve him from this temptation; he felt that it was more than he could bear.
He looked up. Coventry was drawing up a short iron ladder from below. He then got hold of it and fixed it on the sill of Grace"s window.
Little burst his own window open. "You villain!" he cried, and leveled his rifle at him.
Coventry uttered a yell of dismay. Grace opened her window, and looked out, with a face full of terror.
At sight of her, Coventry cried to her in abject terror, "Mercy! mercy!
Don"t let him shoot me!"
Grace looked round, and saw Henry aiming at Coventry.
She screamed, and Little lowered the rifle directly.