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Chapter XXV. Dolly's Story.

When I came to myself I was lying wrapped in an opossum rug upon a pile of sacks hastily heaped together, upon the granary floor. I was in charge of Alan and one of his men. The roaring of the flood was still in our ears, and. there was a waste of waters all round us.

I learnt afterwards that Alan had foreseen the catastrophe⁹⁹ early in the day, and had spent some hours, aided by one of his men, who was a skilled carpenter, in building a boat, to be ready as a last page 242 resource. They had it with them, then, but fortunately the waters only rose to within a foot of the granary wall, so that it was not required.

As soon as I could speak I told Alan of my companion who had been left in the doomed house. But Richard's fate must have long since been decided.

Having been in the front part of the house at the critical moment he had no chance for his life. My opening the door at the instant I did so, humanly speaking, saved my life.

Richard's body¹⁰⁰ was found some hours afterwards, and he is buried not far from Violet. But Alan would have no name placed on the stone over his grave, only his initials, and the date when he died.