But here was a lake nearly full to the brim on one side of the barrier and an open descent on the other.

He had encountered a little wind coming up, but not much; here, however, the place being entirely exposed, the wind was powerful and blew right down the valley ruffling the artificial lake.

Altogether it was a solemn scene, and, even at first glance, one that could not be surveyed, after all those comments and reports, without some awe and anxiety.  The surface of the lake shone like a mirror, and waves of some size dashed against the embankment with a louder roar than one would have thought possible, and tossed some spray clean over all; while, overhead, clouds, less fleecy now, and more dark and sullen, drifted so swiftly across the crescent moon that she seemed flying across the sky.

Having now realized that the embankment, huge as it was, was not so high by several hundred feet as nature builds in parallel cases, and that, besides the natural pressure of the whole water, the upper surface of the lake was being driven by the wind against the upper or thin part of the embankment, Ransome turned and went down the embankment to look at the crack and hear opinions.

There were several workmen, an intelligent farmer called Ives, and Mr. Mountain, one of the contractors who had built the dam, all examining the crack.

Mr. Mountain was remarking that the crack was perfectly dry, a plain proof there was no danger.

“Ay, but,” said Ives, “it has got larger since tea-time; see, I can get my hand in now.”

“Can you account for that?” asked Ransome of the contractor.

Mountain said it was caused by the embankment settling.  “Everything settles down a little—­houses and embankments and all.  There’s no danger, Mr. Ransome, believe me.”

“Well, sir,” said Ransome, “I am not a man of science, but I have got eyes, and I see the water is very high, and driving against your weak part.  Ah!” Then he remembered Little’s advice.  “Would you mind opening the sluice-pipes?”

“Not in the least, but I think it is the engineer’s business to give an order of that kind.”

“But he is not here, and professional etiquette must give way where property and lives, perhaps, are at stake.  To tell you the truth, Mr. Mountain, I have got the advice of an abler man than Mr. Tucker.  His word to me was, ’If the water is as high as they say, don’t waste time, but open the sluices and relieve the dam.’”

The workmen who had said scarcely a word till then, raised an assenting murmur at the voice of common sense.

Mountain admitted it could do no harm, and gave an order accordingly; screws wore applied and the valves of the double set of sluice-pipes were forced open, but with infinite difficulty, owing to the tremendous pressure of the water.