“Oh, Ted! Ted! Oh, something dreadful happened!”
CHAPTER II
GOOD NEWS
Down in the dark depths of the old well, Ted Martin heard what his sister called in such frightened tones.
“What’s the matter?” he asked.
A moment later he learned on his own account. For the bucket rope having slipped off the windlass, from which it had rotted away, tumbled down the well. It caught for a moment on a projecting stone, and then went down into the depths. It fell partly on top of Ted’s head as he stepped off the edge of the bucket on to the pile of dried sticks and leaves which had blown and tumbled into the well during the years it had not been in use.
“Oh, Teddy!” cried Janet. “The rope came loose and it fell down!”
“I know it did,” Ted answered. For the rope was coiled about him.
“Then how are you going to get up?” Janet wanted to know. “How are you going to get up out of the well when I can’t wind up the rope?”
To this Ted made answer:
“I don’t know, Jan. I guess I’m in a sort of pickle. But wait a minute. Don’t run away and leave me!”