"There is, but the openings are not enough with such a flood as this. The engineers never counted on so much rain. It's beyond any they ever had here. You see, there was a small creek that we dammed up to make our lake. Some of the water from the spillway flows into that now, but its channel won't hold a hundredth part of the flood if the dam goes out.
"You'd better move, I tell you. The dam is slowly weakening. We've done all we can to save it, but that's out of the question. The only thing to do is to run while there's time. We've tried to make additional openings, but we daren't make any more, or the wall will be so weakened that it will go out in less than twenty-four hours.
"You've had your warning, now profit by it!" he added. "I'm going to tell those poor souls down in the valley below. It will be tough on them; but it can't be helped."
"If the dam bursts and the water could only be turned over into the transverse valley, this one would be safe," said Tom, in a low voice.
"Yes, but it can't be done!" the messenger exclaimed. "Our engineers thought of that, but it would take a week to open a channel, and there isn't time. It can't be done!"
"Maybe it can," spoke Tom, softly, but no one asked him what he meant.
"Well, I must be off," the man went on. "I've done my duty in warning you."
"Yes, you have," agreed Tom, "and if any damage comes to us it will be our own fault. But I don't believe there will."
The man hastened out, murmuring something about "rash and foolhardy people."
"What are you going to do, Tom?" asked Ned.