As a Man Soweth

The same roar that put him to sleep, awakened Kate. She lay
wondering at it and fearing. She raised her window to listen.
The rain was falling in torrents, while the roar was awful, so
much worse than it had been when she fell asleep, that she had a
suspicion of what might have caused it. She went to George's room
and shook him awake.

"Listen to the dam!" she cried. "It will go, as sure as fate.
George, did you, Oh, did you, close the sluice-gate when you came
home?"

He was half asleep, and too defiant from drink to take his usual
course.

"Sure!" he said. "Sweesish mushich ever hearsh. Push me shleep."

He fell back on the pillow and went on sleeping. Kate tried again
to waken him, but he struck at her savagely. She ran to her room,
hurried into a few clothes, and getting the lantern, started
toward the bridge. At the gate she stepped into water. As far as
she could see above the dam the street was covered. She waded to
the bridge, which was under at each end but still bare in the
middle, where it was slightly higher. Kate crossed it and started
down the yard toward the dam. The earth was softer there, and she
mired in places almost to her knees. At the dam, the water was
tearing around each end in a mad race, carrying earth and
everything before it. The mill side was lower than the street.
The current was so broad and deep she could not see where the
sluice was. She hesitated a second to try to locate it from the
mill behind her; and in that instant there was a crack and a roar,
a mighty rush that swept her from her feet and washed away the
lantern. Nothing saved her but the trees on the bank. She struck
one, clung to it, pulled herself higher, and in the blackness
gripped the tree, while she heard the dam going gradually after
the first break.