“See you later,” called Peter as he kept on toward the telegraph office. “Yes, I’ll see you later, and I guess you’ll wish you hadn’t seen me,” muttered Peter, shaking his fist at Larry’s back. If Larry could have seen this he might have worried a little, but, as it was, he did not. Getting back to the hotel, Larry found the place filled with excited men. They all seemed to be talking at once, but all Larry could distinguish was “dynamite,” “blow it up,” and “save our lives.” “What’s the matter?” he asked of Mr. Newton. “They are talking of a plan to lower dynamite to the foot of the dam, and blow a big hole in it to relieve the pressure,” said the reporter. “But wouldn’t that be as dangerous as if the dam broke of its own weakness?” “That’s what I think, but some of the others seem to believe the hole, if they could make it, would serve as a big outlet.” “What are they going to do about it?” “Nothing. In the first place they haven’t the dynamite, and if they had it, they couldn’t get anyone to go out on the dam and lower it, for the thing may give way any minute.” “What makes such a crowd here?” “A lot more people have deserted their homes, and have come here for shelter.” “Is the danger greater?” “They say the dam will go in about an hour.” “What are you going to do?” “I have a plan,” said Mr. Newton, “and I want you to help me carry it out.” “What is it?” asked Larry. “We’ll both go out to the dam,” said the reporter. “We’ll wait there until it gives way, which it must do now in the course of an hour or two. I’ll be there and I’ll write up a short account. You’ll jump on your wheel and hurry to the telegraph office with the copy. We’ll get it to the office in time for the last edition and beat all the other papers unless some of them are smart enough to play the same trick, and I don’t think they will.” “That’s a good idea,” commented Larry. “I’ll get my wheel ready.” In a little while he and Mr. Newton were starting for the dam. The storm was only a drizzle now, but it was unpleasant enough. Larry thought he would never get dried out again, so long had he been wet through. Mr. Newton said he thought they could both qualify as fishes. At the dam they found an immense crowd of people. The angry waters were a little higher than before, but were still several inches from the top of the dam. Only the wonderful strength of the masonry saved it. As it was the engineers said there was an indication of a slight crack which, if it increased, would mean that the whole thing would go to pieces. Raising his umbrella Mr. Newton sat down under it in a place where he could watch developments. He was well out of harm’s way in case the dam should break, and the people, also, kept well back. With pencil and paper ready the reporter waited for what seemed must happen almost any second. “She’s beginning to rise faster!” a man on watch cried. “We’re beginning to get some of the water from the broken dam above!”