“Here’s the rope, Tom,” he told him. “Pick out several of the stoutest of your comrades, and make use of the tree as a lever. It’s all very simple, you can see, thought it may hurt them more or less when you pull.”
Tom understood what was expected of him.
“Come along with me, Carl, Rob and Josh,” he said. “The rest of you stand by and be ready to pull if we need any more help. We’ll pass the end of the rope back to you.”
“But how are we going to climb up in the tree?” asked Rob; “without getting stuck in the mud ourselves?”
“There’s only one way,” replied Tom, as he seized hold of a branch that happened to be within reach, and commenced to climb it as though he were a sailor swarming up a rope.
When he had effected a lodgment above they threw the rope to him, and after Tom had made one end fast to the thick limb the other three had little difficulty in following him.
Then they clambered out to where Wedge McGuffey was perched. His condition betrayed the fact that he too had been caught in the muck; but being closer to a friendly branch he must have made a tremendous effort and climbed into the tree.
First of all Tom made a running noose in the end of the rope. Then he lowered this to Tony who was almost below the limb of which they were astride.
“Listen, Tony,” said Tom, clearly, “put the loop under your arms, with the knot at your chest. Then grin and bear it, because we’ve got to drag hard to get you free from all that stuff you’re in.”
“Oh! never mind about me, Tom; I’d stand anything if only I could get out of this terrible place. Pull me in half if you have to; I’m game!” said the boy below.