Billy Worth entered into the game with his customary eagerness. There had been so much of tragedy connected with their experiences thus far in the rescue of the numerous flood victims, that what promised to be a rift in the clouds appealed to him with considerable force. Billy was always ready for fun.
He saw that Hugh was following the example of a famous man, Alexander the Great, who, when offered the Gordian knot to unravel, simply cut it with his sword. Since so much remained to be done for others, they could not afford to waste time with a captious old woman who, having been hoisted to that limb, was afraid to let go of it for fear lest she should be dropped into that terrible waste of water below.
So Billy took the hatchet and began to climb the tree. Miss Maria did not at first comprehend what his intentions were, and even started scolding the boy for meaning to force her to put her faith in that slender clothes line.
When he deliberately began to hack away at the limb upon which she placed her faith, she realized the impending catastrophe, and shrilly chided him for what she called his treachery.
Billy kept grimly at work. He was making splendid progress, for it happened that the boat hatchet had a keen edge, and Billy had always prided himself on being something of a woodsman chopper.
“Hold hard below!” he called out presently, at which Miss Maria gave a shriek and changed her hold from the security of the now bending limb to the clothes line over her head.
Hugh and the others made sure to have the rope taut, for they saw that the limb was getting ready to fall of its own weight, since Billy had cut more than halfway through it.
Then came a crackling sound, more shrieks from the little old maid, and she was discovered dangling in the air, kicking furiously, and almost wild with fright.
Suppressing their desire to laugh, Hugh and his comrades immediately started to lower her by slacking up on their end of the rope. When she came within reach they guided her into the boat, although in more or less danger of having their share of knocks from her energetic kicks into space.
When she found that she had been safely landed, Miss Maria almost collapsed; but at least she appeared to be so completely out of breath that the scouts were spared another scolding harangue.