"Fly, Tom!" he cried to his horse. "It is a race for life! On! on! It is overtaking us! We are lost!"
CHAPTER XXX.
A RACE WITH A RUNAWAY RIVER.
Though the Postboy of the Kanawha was not borne on by his gallant Jack in that fearful ride with the flood of Tripping Waters, he sped down the post road at a flying pace.
The blooded bay that he rode seemed to have a realization of the awful peril from that pursuing wall of water.
Higher and higher rose that deafening thunder, until it dulled the postboy's hearing and fairly made his senses reel.
Glancing wildly back he saw that the foaming avalanche of water was sweeping everything before it!
The narrow valley was completely filled from mountainside to mountainside!
There was no way for him to scale the rugged heights overhanging him in season to escape the flood.
His only hope lay in continued flight—in reaching the mouth of the valley before he could be overtaken by the monster at his heels!
Every moment saw it so much nearer, but while life and his fleet-footed horse were left him he was bound not to lose courage.