CHAPTER XIII
THE INSPECTOR
Down the rocky slope, toward the little settlement on the flats below thedam, rode Jack. He thought rapidly. If he could beat the flood, there wouldbe time to warn the sleeping population so they could flee to the hills.There were not many who had their homes in the danger zone, not more thantwenty-five families.
"I'll wake some of 'em up," Jack reflected, "and then they can warn theothers. I don't imagine they'll have time to save anything. Too bad! Butthat dam is certainly going."
The rain came pelting down once more, the drops stinging in Jack's face. Hetried to listen, to ascertain if he could hear the roar of the waters thatwould indicate that the dam had already gone out, but all he could catchwas the splash of the rain.
Jack's course was along the now turbulent stream that was formed from theoverflow of the pent-up waters. In normal times this was but a mere brook,most of the waters being led off through a pipe line to supply a distantirrigation scheme. But now there was so much water that not only was thepipe line filled, but the overflow from the dam had turned the brook into ariver.
"The people ought to have seen the danger, and gotten out before this,"reflected Jack, "but perhaps they haven't. Well, I'll do my best to save'em!"
On galloped the faithful pony. Jack wished he could put the mail andexpress stuff somewhere until he could conclude his ride for life, but itwould not be safe to leave it anywhere. Fortunately, he had not much of aload that night.
To Jack it seemed that he never would reach the little town, nor see thelights of the first cabin loom into sight.
"That is there'll be lights if the folks are up," mused Jack, "and I hopesome of them are. There'll be some tall scrambling if I have to get 'em allup out of bed."
The rain was a perfect torrent now, and the lad realized that, with allthis additional water falling into the reservoir, and with what it wouldreceive from the swollen mountain streams flowing into it, the dam would befurther endangered.
The pony slipped and almost fell as he went around a bad turn, where thetrail was filled with rocks.
"Look out there, Sunger!" Jack cautioned him, as he pulled up the faithfulanimal "This is no time to fall!"
But Sunger recovered himself, and galloped on.
Suddenly a light flashed into view, then another.
"A house!" exclaimed Jack. "The first one. Now for the alarm!"
He rode up to the door, glad in his heart that the light was burning.
"Though that doesn't indicate that they're awake," the lad mused.
He pounded on the door, not getting out of the saddle.
"Get up! Get up!" he cried. "The dam will give way in a moment! Get up, andhelp give the alarm!"
There was a moment of silence, broken only by the patter of the rain.
"Hurry! Hurry!" Jack cried, again pounding on the portal.
This time he heard, after a wait of a few seconds, some one moving in thehouse, then a sleepy voice demanded:
"What is it? What's the matter? Who's there?"
"Never mind who I am!" Jack replied. "It's the pony express rider, betweenGolden Crossing and Rainbow Ridge, if you have to know. But the dam isgiving way! It may have gone out now! There'll be the biggest kind of floodon these flats in half an hour! Get up! Take to the hills!"
The door was thrown open, revealing a man wrapped in a blanket He seemedjust to have gotten up out of bed.
"What's that?" he inquired, sleepily.
Jack repeated his warning. The man understood now. He rushed back in to theroom.
"Come on, 'Mandy!" he yelled. "Git the children! Hustle into what clothesyou can! We've got to skip! The dam is going out! Quick now!"
"Warn the others nearest you!" Jack cried, as he turned Sunger away fromthe house. "I'm going to ride on down below and give the alarm."
"I will!" the man answered. "You've probably saved our lives!"
A woman could be heard crying, and children were screaming in fear withinthe house, but Jack could not stay for that. There were others to warn.
On he rode, going past without pause the few houses near that of the man hehad first called. Jack depended on him to give the alarm to his neighbors.
But the lad called at other cabins, repeating his warning. Some folk he haddifficulty in arousing, but the news soon spread, and in a short time thewhole settlement was on the alert.
As Jack knocked on the door of the last house, farthest removed from theupper end of the settlement, he heard far off a dull boom like thereverberation of an explosion.
"There goes the dam!" cried Jack. "Now the flood will come!"
But the people had been warned in time. They had no chance to save anythingsave their most easily-carried belongings, and with these they fled to highground.
The noise Jack had heard was the breaking of the dam, and a little later agreat wall of water swept down the narrow valley. It carried everythingbefore it, sweeping away the frail cabins in its path. But there was noloss of human life, thanks to the brave pony rider.
Jack wished he could stay and help the unfortunates, but he had otherduties. And, anyway, the residents on the higher ground, who were in nodanger, came to the relief of their neighbors. Houses were thrown open tothose whose homes had been swept away, and the refugees were givenclothing, food and shelter.
The flood did not last long, for the reservoir was soon emptied. But inthat short time it did great damage; that is comparatively great, for thecabins were mostly those of poor persons.
The mass of water gradually subsided, though the heavy rains had made ariver of the mountain brook, and it was several days before it went back toits normal level. Then the work of repairing the damage of the flood wastaken up.
When Jack saw, that night, that he had done all he could, he turned back onthe trail, for the mail must not be delayed longer than could be helped,and already nearly three hours had been lost.
It was almost morning when he rode into Rainbow Ridge with the first newsof the burst dam. He made light of his own part in the affair, but thatcame out later, and much honor was paid the lad. He bore his honorsmodestly, however, and the greatest praise--or what he considered such--waswhen his father said:
"I'm proud of you, Jack, my boy!"
Relief for the unfortunate flood victims was sent both from Rainbow Ridgeand Golden Crossing, and when Jennie heard of the disaster she insisted ondoing up some of her own clothing and forwarding it to some of the girlswho had lost theirs.
Every one helped, as is always the case at a time like that, and thoughmany families lost everything, still there was no mourning for lives thatnever could be given back. Jack had provided against that by his braveride.
It was two weeks after the flood, and now the mountains were calm andpeaceful again. The long season of rain had passed, and the weather wasglorious. Jack enjoyed every moment of it as he rode the trail.
"It certainly is a great life!" he reflected. "I'm glad the way is sorough, otherwise they'd be wanting me to use a motor-cycle or anautomobile. But none of them for me, while I have you, Sunger!"
The pony whinnied his answer, as Jack patted him on the neck.
"Well, anything big to-day, Jennie?" he asked, as he rode up to the GoldenCrossing office one afternoon. "Anything important? Why, what's thematter?" he asked in some concern. "You look worried."
"I am, Jack," she said, and she did not answer his smile.
"What about? Your mother isn't ill; is she? You haven't lost any registeredletters?"
"No, it isn't that, but a post office inspector has been here, asking me alot of questions. He intimated that things weren't being done right, andhe's coming back in an hour to check up my accounts."
"Well, I suppose they have to do what they're hired for. Was he mean orugly?"
"No, but he seemed terribly in earnest. And suppose my accounts aren'texactly right? I may have made little mistakes. Then he'll report me andI'll lose my office. Oh, Jack, I couldn't bear that!"
&
nbsp; "Don't worry," Jack soothed her. "I'll stay and have a talk with thisinspector. Maybe I can help straighten matters out, if they're a bit wrong.You say he is coming back in an hour?"
"Yes, and the time is nearly up. There he is now."
Jack looked out, and a strange feeling came over him as he saw a large man,on an unusually high horse riding up to the post office.
"Is he the inspector?" asked the pony rider.
"Yes," Jennie answered.
Jack shut his teeth grimly, and a strange look came over his face.