“Out of the old well?” cried Mr. Martin. “Do you mean to tell me Ted has fallen down there?”
“He didn’t perzackly fall in,” said Janet. “I let him down by the rope, but the rope slipped off and he’s down there. He couldn’t climb out, so mother told Patrick to bring the ladder.”
“Oh, well, if your mother’s there I guess matters will soon be all right,” said Mr. Martin, breathing more easily. “Why did you children go to that well? We must fill it up at once, Patrick.”
“Yes, sir. I was going to do it this afternoon. But they got ahead of me, the Curlytops did.”
Mr. Martin hurried on with Patrick, helping him carry the ladder, while Janet followed. Mrs. Martin and Trouble were still standing at the well curbing, and when Mrs. Martin saw her husband she, too, thought he had come home because of what had happened to Ted.
Then, as she knew he could not have heard of it at the store, she said to Mr. Martin:
“Is anything wrong? Why did you come home at this time of day?”
“Everything is all right,” replied Mr. Martin, with a smile. “I came home to tell you some good news. But first we must get Teddy out of the well.”
Mr. Martin leaned over and looked down into the depths. Ted saw his father and called to him:
“I’m all right!”