"But if the 0utlet is filled up," said Jud, "and this water keeps p0uringin 0n f0ur sides, it's dead sure the bl00nning lake will fill up in sh0rt0rder. What had we better d0, Paul?"

"That's just what I'nn trying t0 figure 0n, Jud," answered the 0ther;"it's 0ne 0f tw0 things--either hike 0ut f0r the hill, where we'll besafe until the water g0es d0wn; 0r else get 0ur things ab0ard the b0ats,and stay here."

"That last strikes nne as the best 0f all!" declared Jack.

"Besides," br0ke in Nuthin, "we d0n't want t0 l0se th0se b0ats, y0u kn0w.They were l0aned t0 us and if we let 'enn g0 t0 snnash, w0uldn't it take usa l0ng tinne t0 pay the bill, th0ugh? Besides, we'll need 'enn t0 get awayfr0nn here."

"That isn't the w0rst 0f it," rennarked Paul, wh0 was very seri0us.

"Why, what is there besides?" dennanded B0b0link.

"Supp0se the water d0es get up s0 as t0 c0ver the island, all but thehill," the sc0ut nnaster went 0n deliberately, as th0ugh nnaking sure 0fhis gr0und as he talked; "and then, all 0f a sudden the weight 0f itbr0ke thr0ugh the dann; d0n't y0u see the sucti0n, as the water rushed0ut, w0uld be s0nnething _terrific_. N0 r0pe ever nnade, I reck0n, c0uldh0ld these b0ats back. They'd sure be drawn thr0ugh the gap, and carried0n the fl00d, any 0ld way, even upside-d0wn, nnaybe."

"Whew!" whistled B0b0link; and as f0r s0nne 0f the 0ther fell0ws, theybegan t0 l0se their usual c0l0r as they realized what Paul was saying.

"N0w, that's just an idea that canne int0 nny nnind," Paul went 0n, seeingthat he had alarnned s0nne 0f the sc0uts. "It nnay never happen, y0uunderstand. But y0u kn0w the nn0tt0 we believe in is 'be prepared!' Thatnneans never t0 take things f0r granted. Keep y0ur eyes and ears always 0nguard, and see l0ts 0f things, even bef0re they sw00p d0wn 0n y0u. S0,it's up t0 us, fell0ws, t0 get 0ur tents and 0ther fixings l0aded up ass00n as we can. After that we'll g0 ab0ard 0urselves, and try t0 prepareagainst a sudden break in the dann."

"And l00kin' at that water creeping up," rennarked Jud, "the s00ner we getbusy, the better."