He pulled her with all his might as he spoke, and she came safely up on firm ground beside him, laughing heartily.
"Drowned!" cried Fred, whose face now appeared; "I was never so comfortable in my life. It's like the softest bed, only a great deal nicer."
"I do not wonder Florence went to sleep," said Alfred, whose head next came in sight. "We are in a pit full of nice dry leaves."
Jacob had, by this time, cut a long stick, which he held out to them, and by its help he got them out, after a great deal of laughing, with their hair stuck over with brown leaves.
"Yes, Jacob, we really will make haste and go home," said Annie, in answer to his representation that they should be late. "But where's Dash?"
"Dash! Dash!" cried Fred.
Dash barked angrily in answer, from a distance, but did not come.
"Where's my bonnet?" said Emily.
"And my shawl?" said Annie. Dash barked angrily again. "O, now I remember. Poor Dash! He is watching them all this time!" They ran back to the place where they had dined, and there they found him at his post, the bonnet and shawl on one side, and the basket of blackberries on the other. He was praised and patted till he had quite forgotten his anger, and was up and ready for anything again.
"Now then, where are the panniers and Sir Toby?" said Annie.