The two boys turned grave faces toward each other. Although Billy may have spoken rather light-heartedly about his desire to witness a flood, at the same time he could appreciate something of the horror that always attends such a catastrophe; and the prospect of being involved in so sweeping a disaster gave him a strange thrill in the region of his heart.
They hastened their footsteps. Others were to be seen running toward the postoffice, and often stopping to make inquiries of those they knew. Since the two members of the Wolf Patrol were absolute strangers in town, they did not depend on getting their information at second hand, but pushed their way through the gathering crowd, until they found themselves inside the building given over to the service of the postoffice department.
“Here you are, over this way!” said Hugh, as he elbowed through the thick mass of humanity, and on all sides they began to hear gloomy expressions and forebodings.
There was a paper posted on the wall, which engaged the attention of the surging throng. The scouts saw that there was a line or two of typewriting on it, which they managed to read with bated breath, and this was what the notice said:
“Heavy rains predicted for to-night and to-morrow all through the Eastern section. Flood conditions will prevail, possibly to an unprecedented extent in some quarters.”
CHAPTER II.
STRANDED FAR AWAY FROM HOME.
“What do you think about it, Hugh?” asked Billy, after they had allowed themselves to be pushed along by the surging, anxious crowd, and found themselves once more outside the postoffice building, headed toward the railroad station.
“Looks like a bad job, I’m afraid,” replied the patrol leader. “You see, the river runs past Lawrence, and already its bank is full with the flood, which is rising right along. I heard one man say it was up to the highest notch on record. If rain keeps coming, there is no telling what terrible calamity might hit all this section of country.”
Billy drew a long breath.
“I want to take back something I said without thinking twice, Hugh. I guess, after all, a flood isn’t anything to laugh at. The look on the faces of those men and women at the postoffice gave me a bad feeling.”