“But—but—”
“But—but, man. Ah! what was he doing to jump in?”
“Haven’t you heard?” groaned Jerry, speaking to the miller, and staring wildly down stream the while. “He got into dreadful trouble yesterday. Killed his cousin!”
“What?”
“Come down here to end hisself, I s’pose!”
“Then he’s done it, poor lad!” said the miller, solemnly.
“But couldn’t we do nothing? Couldn’t we try and help him?” whined Jerry, piteously.
“No, my lad, not with the water rooshing down like this; it’s beyond human work, and—Hi! run—run!”
He caught at Jerry again, and the two men started to run for a few yards, then turned to look back, as, after several warning cracks, the whole of the great white timber-built mill literally crumbled down over its undermined foundations and disappeared in the surging waters.
“I knowed it!” panted the miller. “Poor old place! I’ve spent many a happy year there. Well, I come in time to save your life, squire.”