"If I could only attract his attention," he thought.
He shouted as loud as he could, but the sound was partially lost before it reached the surface of the well. Still it attracted the attention of Fred Lathrop, the boy who was whistling, who stopped to listen.
"Where did that sound come from?" he thought.
It was repeated, and this time he could distinguish the word "Help!"
"By gracious, it comes from the well!" he said to himself. "Who can be down there?"
He drew near and looked down. It was darker near the bottom, but he could descry Robert, who was looking up.
"Who's there?" asked Fred.
"It's I—a boy. Help me up!"
"How did you get down there?"