A Daughter of Maryland — page 43: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

28 A DAUGHTER OF MARYLAND. CHAPTER IV. AN ALARMING SITUATION. IN HER anxiety over the startling story told by Uncle Frost, Aurian had been: oblivious alike of the passage of time and the progress of the storm. Aunt Debby’s terrified appearance now aroused her to the peril of her situation. The rain was pouring down in torrents, but its ceaseless roaring was drowned by a more fearful thunder, which fairly shook the foundation of the cabin. ‘*De ribber hab split ’bove hyur!’’ cried Aunt Debby, ‘fan’ it am runnin’ on ebery side ob us.’”’ A hasty examination of their surroundings showed Aurian that Debby was right. A narrow defile had extended parallel with the river on the opposite side of the house, and this was now filled with a stream rivaling the original in volume and awful rapidity of its current. Its foam-crested surface was strewn with the debris it had caught up from the earth. Trees were being uprooted by the furious flood and tossed hither and thither like toys for a moment, to be sucked out of sight the next in the whirl- pool of waters. It was raining as fast and furious as ever, while the wind was blowing a gale. ‘We s’all all be washed off an’ drownt,’’ moaned Aunt Debby. ‘‘ Dis is drefful.’’ ‘*Let us hope the storm will soon abate, aunty. As long as the water does not rise any higher I do not see that we are in any particular danger. I wonder how poor Maze is out in this drenching torrent. ’’ Going to the door Aurian saw that the horse had got as close to the side of the house as possible, where he stood cCOomMmiIcboo cS co