Page:The grandmother; a story of country life in Bohemia.pdf/246

240 out her. "Don't let the dogs get away," she said, as she was leaving.

"Never fear for them; they know where their safety lies, they will not leave us." And, truly, Sultan and Tyrol were constantly at Grandmother's heels, and when she took the spindle and sat down by the window, out of which she had a good view of the river, the dogs lay down at her feet. Vorsa, accustomed constantly to be doing something, began to clean out the empty pens, not thinking that in an hour, they would be filled with mud and water.

It grew dusk, the water rose higher and higher, and reached almost to the edges of the sluice; the meadow behind the dam was already under water, and where the willows did not obstruct the view, although the house lay low and the banks of the river were high, Grandmother could see the dashing of the waves. She laid aside her spindle, clasped her hands, and began to pray. Vorsa entered the room, and said as she brushed the dust from the bench by the window: "The water roars till one is filled with terror; all living creatures have hid themselves as if they knew something was going to happen; not a sparrow is to be seen."

The sound of a horse's hoofs is heard on the main road leading from the dam, and a rider gallops along at full speed; he stops at the house and shouts: "Save yourselves, people; the flood is upon us!" Then he gallops on to the mill and from the mill to the village.

"God be with us. Up above they are in peril; they’ve sent a messenger," said Grandmother, turning pale. Still she told Vorsa not to be afraid, and went again to see if all was safe, and to note how