on guard along the banks.

In the lower streets the water was coming under the doors into the
houses. Women and children were taking refuge in the garrets while the
men, with their trousers rolled up to their knees, were splashing about
in the liquid silt, carrying their farming tools to places of safety, or
tugging at some donkey who would be balking at going too deep into the
water.

All these people of the suburbs, on finding their houses flooded in the
darkness of night, lost the jesting calm which they had so boastfully
displayed during the daytime. Now fear of the supernatural came over
them, and with childish anxiety they sought protection of some Higher
Power to avert the danger. Perhaps this freshet was the final one!
Perhaps they were the victims destined to perish in the final downfall
of the city!... Women began to shriek with terror on seeing their
wretched lanes converted into deep canals.

"_El pare San Bernat!... Que traguen al pare San Bernat_! Father Saint
Bernard!... Let them fetch father Saint Bernard!"

The men looked at each other uneasily. Nobody could handle a matter like
this so well as the glorious patron. It was now high time to have
recourse to him, as had so often been done before, and get him to
perform his miracle.

They ought to go to the City Council, and compel the big guns there, in
spite of their scepticism, to bring the saint out for the consolation of
the poor.