The water yanked the pick out of my hands as Apple dragged me backward. And then we were both running from the waterfall we’d started.

Mr. Caldwell wouldn’t let any of us—not even himself—go find out what had happened until the reservoir’s water level was down to the level of the land where the bank had been broken through. Then, in a sudden letup of rain, Mr. Caldwell said, “Well, who wants to go look?”

All 160 of us slogged out through the wet fields toward the berm.

Please, I thought, as I climbed up on top, don’t let it be as bad as I expect. Then I looked . . .

First I saw the spillway, no more broken than it had been.

Then I looked toward the Lundgrens’ place, where curving rows of earth glistened with water. Between all the rows of water, there were rows of plants.

I was too far away to see how bad the rain had pounded them, but one thing was sure. The plants, and the topsoil they were growing in, hadn’t been washed away.

I was still looking when three people rode out onto the field. They got off their horses and walked among the plants, bending down here and there.

Then one of them got back on his horse and trotted toward us. The way Nate held himself and the way he pranced his horse said it all—the wheat and barley had pulled through.

As had most of the plants around the reservoir. Willow starts still stood upright. A bird was already flitting among them, investigating.

“So,” Mr. Caldwell said, pausing for a long pull on his pipe, “it looks like you boys saved the day.” He’d come back to camp with us, and we were just finishing up supper.

I didn’t know if Captain Hakes had ordered the cooks back to work or if they’d just gone back, but we’d sure eaten good.

I asked, “Do you think the reservoir can be fixed?”

“Sure. We’ll have to drain it, rebuild the spillway, repair the break in the bank. It’s all doable, though you fellows staying on for second hitches will have your work cut out.”

He glanced around. “I hope a lot of you will be.”

Chapter 37

The following Friday evening, B Barracks was a scene of confusion worse than I’d ever seen. About thirty fellows would be leaving for good the next morning, and the rest of us would be heading off on the leaves the CCC gave the guys who were reenrolling.

I was reeling with all the things that were happening.

Alerted by Mr. Caldwell, Major Garrett and a couple of other officers had swooped into camp the day after the crisis at the dam. Even Sam didn’t hear what all got said over at headquarters, but before they left a lot of changes got made or promised.