"There's no place to hide on the upper bank." "We mustn't quit this bank, and we mustn't quit the drift-pile either," replied Sam.

"You must find a good place, high up in the drift where, by pulling out sticks, you and Joe can make a place for us to stay in." "But, Sam, what if the water gets to us there ?" "It won't get to us there." "How do you know ?" "Because the biggest freshets always come in the spring, and the top of this drift-pile was put where it is by the biggest freshets, so the river won't go near the top in November.

You see, as the drift _floated_ on top of the water to its present place, the top of the pile must be the highest point, or very nearly the highest, that the water ever reaches.

If you can find a good place therefore in the upper part of the drift-pile, we shall be safe there.

But you'd better see about it at once, as the water may be in here before morning, and at any rate we mustn't allow ourselves to be taken by surprise.