This permission was sufficient, and the active girl bounded away full of glee at the prospect of a battle with the storm, and of surprising Winn on the raft. Three minutes later she reappeared, clad in rubber boots and a water-proof cloak, the hood of which, drawn over her head, framed her face in the most bewitching manner. The Major attempted to protect her still further with a large umbrella; but they had hardly left the house before a savage gust swooped down and gleefully rendered it useless by turning it inside out. Casting the umbrella aside, the Major clasped Elta's hand firmly in his. Then with bowed heads the two pushed steadily on towards the river-bank, while the wind scattered bits of their merry laughter far and wide. It took them but a few minutes to reach the little stream, when their laughter was suddenly silenced. There was the place where the _Venture_ had been put together, there was the tree to which it had been so securely moored; but the raft that had grown into being and become a familiar sight at that point no longer occupied it, nor was it anywhere to be seen. Only a flood of turbid waters, fully two feet higher than they had been the evening before, swept over the spot, and seemed to beckon mockingly towards the great river. "Why, the raft has gone!" exclaimed Elta, in a dismayed voice. [Illustration: "'Why, the raft has gone!' exclaimed Elta"] "It certainly has," answered the Major, grimly; "and as it cannot possibly have floated up-stream, it must have gone towards the Mississippi. I only hope that Winn managed in some way to check and hold it before it reached the big water; otherwise we may have a merry hunt for it." While he spoke they had been hurrying to a point a short distance down-stream, around which the creek made a bend. From here they could command a view of half a mile of its course, and somewhere along this stretch of water they hoped to see the raft safely moored. They were, however, doomed to disappointment; for as far as the eye could see there was no sign of the missing craft. Full of conjectures and forebodings of evil they reluctantly turned back towards the house. The mill-hands, some of whom were to have formed the crew of the _Venture_, had already discovered that it was gone. Now they were gathered at the house awaiting the Major's orders, and eagerly discussing the situation. Mrs. Caspar, full of anxiety, met her husband and daughter at the open door, where she stood, regardless of the driving rain. "Oh, John!" she cried, "where is Winn? What has become of the raft? Do you think anything can have happened to him?"