"What's the trouble?" suddenly cried a voice from the stairs in the corner.
"Help me out of the vat!" replied Hal. "Quick! I am freezing to death!"
"Wall, I swan!" ejaculated the voice.
Then came more footsteps, and an elderly man, carrying a lantern, appeared at the edge of the vat.
"Give me your hand," he said, setting down the lantern. "This is a nice fix ter git into."
He leaned down, and Hal held up his hand. The new-comer grasped the youth's wrist, and in a moment Hal was upon the cellar floor.
"Oh, thank you!" chattered Hal. "I—I—couldn't have stood it another minute."
"'Most froze, be you?" returned the man. "Here, strip off that coat of yourn and put on mine. That's a most all-fired cold bath. How did you git in?"
"I was pushed in," replied Hal. He tried to pull off his coat, but had not the strength. "Will you help me?"
"Of course." In a twinkle the man had the coat off, and his own on Hal's shivering form. "Belong around here?"