The soft showers fell, and the corn sprouted and grew. But an occasional riverman brought word of heavy rains up on “headwaters.” Signs of weakness had been noticed in “Big Bull” dam, and if that should break, “Jennie Bull” and “Grandfather,” below, would be swept away also.
“What did that mean? That means a second Noah’s flood for you fellows,” said the rivermen.
Steadily the rains fell, and steadily the river rose. “She is nearly bank full,” announced Ed, coming in from an inspection late one night. “Lucky that the main drive has gone down, or the lumbermen would have an all summer job hauling their logs out of these high-water sloughs.”
In the night the boys were awakened by the “boom! boom!” as of steady cannonading at a distance. “It must be the ‘sack drive,’” said Rob. “It would take big logs to make that booming.”
“But, Rob, listen! That booming is on the west side of the house. You know the river isn’t over there.” The boys sprang from their bed, and in the early morning light beheld a vast expanse of wildly-rushing water all about them. Fences were gone, but so far, the substantially framed log buildings of the farm were intact.
“It’s the flood!” exclaimed Ed. “Big Bull dam has given way! See those big logs sailing right across our corn field.”
Indeed, it was a disheartening situation that daylight brought to view. Undoubtedly their corn crop was ruined, and Rob’s school days were removed to a more distant, shadowy future. But another misfortune was to be revealed. Wading out to the big pine on the river bank, to which their flat-bottomed boat was moored, Ed brought it to the house, and the boys paddled out to the barn lots. There they found the cattle safe, though knee deep in water, under the sheds. But when they came to the sheep fold, the fences were all gone, and not a woolly animal was in sight.
“Dead!” exclaimed Rob. “Every last one of them drowned! And we expected the coming lambs would double our flock.” “Maybe they’re not all dead,” replied Ed. “Sheep can swim when they have to, though of course not far in their heavy wool. But see! the current here sets in to Big Bend timber where there are some patches of high ground. We may find some of them stranded there. We’ll take the boat after breakfast, and have a hunt for them.”