The larger boys rushed down the bank with eager inquiries: "Where?" "Where did he go down?"
But two of them—George Dewey and Bill Ammon—did not need to wait for the answer. They knew the exact depth of every square yard in that part of the river, and the set of the current at every point, for they had been in it and through it more than a hundred times.
"Run down the bank and go in by the pine tree, Bill," said George. "I'll go in just below the riffle and explore the cellar-hole!"
A few seconds later both of these boys had disappeared under water.
The "cellar-hole," as the boys called it, was a place where some natural force, probably frost and the current, had excavated the bed of the river to a depth of eight or ten feet, with almost perpendicular walls. It was a favorite place for the larger boys to dive; and another of their amusements consisted in floating down into it with the current, which, just before entering the cellar-hole, ran swiftly through a narrow channel.
The two boys were under water so long that their companions began to fear they never would come up. From the excited state of their minds it seemed even longer than it really was.
Bill was the first to appear, and as soon as he could get his breath he reported "No luck!"
A moment later George came up, and it was evident that he was bringing something. As soon as Bill saw this he swam toward him, and at the same time two other boys plunged in from the bank. They brought ashore the apparently lifeless body of little Jimmy Nash and laid it on the grass.
"What shall we do?" said several.
"Shake the water out of him," said one.