in lighting one of the stoves. Though he did not let the children know,
Mr. Brown thought there might be a risk of fire if the gasolene stove
were lighted, because the big car might overturn.

"Now to see what it's all about," said Mr. Brown, when he and Uncle Tad
were fully dressed. "We'll find out if we are adrift on the Atlantic or
Pacific ocean, and how to get to shore."

He was putting on his rubber boots and raincoat, and Uncle Tad was doing
the same thing. Then Mr. Brown got a lantern and lighted it, for he was
going to open the back door of the car to look outside, to see where the
flood was taking them. For he was sure now, by the motion of the
automobile, that the heavy rain had turned a small stream, near which
they had stopped for the night, into a small-sized river, and that had
risen high enough, or had come down with force enough, to sweep the big
auto-van ahead with it.

But no sooner had Mr. Brown and Uncle Tad opened the back door of the
automobile, that a gust of wind blew out the lantern, for there was a
hole in the glass enclosing the flame and the wind puffed right through
the lantern.

"Well, I can't very well see in the dark," said Mr. Brown, as he came in
to light the lantern once more. "It's a very strong wind."

Again he opened the door, but in a second the lantern was blown out once
more. Only the electric lights, kept aglow in the car by the storage
battery, remained gleaming.

"I ought to have one of those pocket flash lights," said Mr. Brown. "I