wide and nearly
a foot deep, and a powerful stream rushing over it.

The moment Tucker saw that, he cried, "It's all up, the embankment
must go!"  And, the feeling of the architect overpowering the
instincts of the man, he stood aghast.  But Carter laid hold of him,
and dragged him away.

Then he came to himself, and they ran across the embankment.

As they started, the powder, which had hung  unaccountably, went
off, and blew up the waste-wear; but they scarcely heard it; for, as
they ran, the rent above kept enlarging and deepening at a fearful
rate, and the furious stream kept rushing past their flying heels,
and threatened to sweep them sideways to destruction.

They were safe at last; but even as they stood panting, the rent in
the top of the embankment spread--deepened--yawned terrifically--and
the pent-up lake plunged through, and sweeping away at once the
center of the embankment, rushed, roaring and hissing, down the
valley, an avalanche of water, whirling great trees up by the roots,
and sweeping huge rocks away, and driving them, like corks, for
miles.

At that appalling sound, that hissing thunder, the like of which