"I'll run for Ned," cried Tavia, after she had given the boy in the pool a hold on the tree branch, and then she shot across the fields like a deer, leaving Nat to "say his prayers," as he described the situation.
It seemed a long time to the imprisoned boy, but as a matter of fact, Tavia was back very soon with "reinforcements."
Besides Dorothy and Ned, there came to the rescue a woman, who just happened by and heard of the danger. She knew the spring, and, depositing her basket of eggs in a safe place, pulled a fence rail from its post, and with Ned holding one end hurried on to the spring. By this time Nat was almost exhausted, for though it was an August day, standing to the waist in cold spring water was not an enjoyable position.
"I found the spring," he tried to joke, as the others came up to him.
"So we see," drawled Ned.
"Here," called the strange woman, who evidently knew exactly what to do. "Young man, you take this end of the rail to the other side. I'll hold my end here, and the boy can pull out across it."
Dorothy and Tavia looked on anxiously. They had heard of persons being swallowed up in quick-sands. Might not this be such a danger?
The pool was uncomfortably wide just where Nat chose to try its depth, so that it was difficult to span it with the fence rail.
"Easy now," called the little woman in the big sunbonnet. "Take hold first, then draw yourself up."
Nat was only too anxious to do as he was told. It did seem so good to have something solid within reach once more.