"It's filling at the rate of three feet a day, and as soon as the water reaches the top of the dam—say in a month or six weeks—the dam will burst and flood a hundred and fifty miles of country."
"What a sight it will be! I'd give a lot to see it," said Sir Capel. "Niagara broke loose in India."
"It will certainly be an unprecedented sight."
"And what measures are you engineer chaps taking?" inquired General Bothwell, with his mouth full of bread and butter.
"Merely precautions. We cannot let the water off under control; all we can do is to ensure that it escapes down the river bed—without loss of life."
"Can't be many lives to lose up there," he argued.
"Yes; besides the villagers, there are thousands of pilgrims who pass down to Hurdwar in May and June, and we are bound to know to a day—in fact, to an hour—when the flood is due."
"What can you do?"
"We have established a temporary telegraph line from the lake to ten stations where pilgrims halt, and at good points, from which to control the traffic. Pillars are erected every half-mile to show the safe limits out of reach of the flood, and all the principal bridges are being dismantled. As soon as the water reaches the crest of the dam, the official in charge will send a warning telegram, for the flood will travel fast."
"I suppose the natives are terrified out of their senses?" asked Mrs. Lacy.