At this, Shaggy rose and went over to the well to investigate, and Betsy went with him. The Princess and Polychrome, who had become fast friends, linked arms and sauntered down one of the roads, to find an easy path.
“Really,” said Shaggy, “there does seem to be something at the bottom of this old well.”
“Can’t we pull it up, and see what it is?” asked the girl.
There was no bucket at the end of the windlass chain, but there was a big hook that at one time was used to hold a bucket. Shaggy let down this hook, dragged it around on the bottom and then pulled it up. An old hoopskirt came with it, and Betsy laughed and threw it away. The thing frightened Hank, who had never seen a hoopskirt before, and he kept a good distance away from it.
Several other objects the Shaggy Man captured with the hook and drew up, but none of these was important.
“This well seems to have been the dump for all the old rubbish in the country,” he said, letting down the hook once more. “I guess I’ve captured everything now. No—the hook has caught again. Help me, Betsy! Whatever this thing is, it’s heavy.”
She ran up and helped him turn the windlass and after much effort a confused mass of copper came in sight.
“Good gracious!” exclaimed Shaggy. “Here is a surprise, indeed!”
“What is it?” inquired Betsy, clinging to the windlass and panting for breath.