The Flood Read Online Free PDF

side and the valley on the other.
    The car was close to Red Deer Point when the road in front of it disappeared.

 
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    Woburn drew in a hissing breath as he jammed on the foot-brake. The gap in the road, just a thin line one moment, increased without a pause as the tyres screamed on the smooth, damp road. A great cloud of dust and dirt rose upwards, cutting them off from sight of land. The road seemed to crumble from the wheels of the car.
    Eve Davos was opening her door, as Woburn thrust his back. He jumped out, and ran round to help her. The nose of the car was only a yard from the great gap, and beneath it there was swirling dust and mud and water.
    They met at the back of the car; pale and tense.
    “Only one thing for it.” Woburn said, “down there.” He pointed towards the little river in the valley, looking so serene and flowing quietly. The climb down would be steep and rough. It looked quite normal, with its jutting rocks and dry grass and heather, but any moment it might crumble under the pressure of water. “If we can get to the other side of the valley we may be all right.”
    A stone wall bordered the road, making a large sheep pen. Eve started to climb it, but her skirt was too tight. Woburn moved swiftly, and lifted her over. He followed, in a stride. Behind them, one side of the road was still crumbling, and Red Deer Point was collapsing into the great maw of the loch. Spray, thick with dark mud now, was falling about them, spotting Eve’s cool, clean dress, her face, her dark hair. Woburn felt it sprinkling him. He heard the roar. He could feel the earth trembling. Inside this hill there was the roaring, raging torrent, and if it forced its way through on this side, they could be drawn into it, out of life into death.
    Eve stumbled, in the tight-fitting dress.
    “Take that dress off!” Woburn shouted.
    She stood up for a moment, with a hand at her side, fumbling. She unfastened the dress and started to pull it over her head; precious, vital seconds were swallowed up. She had to hold him, to keep her balance, as she tore at it with one hand. At last, she kicked it free. She wore a nylon slip, which didn’t reach her knees and didn’t hide much.
    “Hurry!”
    She started off again, down the rocky hillside, but no woman had a chance with such ridiculous little shoes, muddy now, and—
    She turned her ankle, and nearly fell.
    “Stand still!” Woburn shouted. “Keep still!”
    He bent down, slid one arm round her legs, about her knees, and lifted her off the ground. On his shoulder, she seemed no weight at all for the first few seconds. He scrambled down, swaying, afraid that he would drop her. She clung to him with her hands tight on his shoulders, and he went on blindly. He wasn’t sure how much farther they had to go, only knew that the roaring was louder in his ears and the ground shook, and that at any moment the earth might open and swallow them up.
    He staggered.
    He stumbled.
    Then, he found himself on level ground, and he dared to stop. He let Eve down, clumsily, sliding her body against his. She didn’t seem to notice, didn’t look at him, but looked upwards; and there was the horror in her eyes.
    He turned.
    The top of the spur at Red Deer Point was vanishing.
    They could see the muddy spray, but nothing else.
    Five minutes ago, they had been up there; but now they were in the bottom of the valley, by the little river. They had time, even if this valley also succumbed to the onrush of the water. Every second counted.
    “Come on,” he said, “we’ve got to run.”
    At first, he held her hand; but that unbalanced them both. They ran over the rough land of the valley; the girl staggering in places. Woburn let her get ahead, just a yard or so; the danger, if it came closer, would come from behind them. The white nylon slip rode up her long, slender legs; the slip fitted her slim waist snugly, her shoulders were tanned a golden colour.
    They could see where the telegraph poles vanished