Johnny brought one in a jiffy.
"All right. Now, the three things necessary to get back your ball are, a pailful and a half of water, a plug, and pluck."
Johnny looked as if he didn't quite understand.
"What sort of a plug, sir?" he asked.
"Oh, this will do," answered the school-master, picking up a pine stick and beginning to whittle away vigorously. The plug was soon made. The school-master lifted the plank cover from the cistern put the ladder down, and said to Johnny: "Have you any pluck?"
"Lots of it," Johnny told him.
"Well, then, take this plug and stick it into the mouth of the pipe, snug."
Johnny took the plug, went down the ladder into the cistern till he reached the water, and then began feeling around for the pipe. By and by he found it, and, inserting the plug in the opening, pushed it down and screwed it firmly in place.
"All right!" he called out, and presently he came up the ladder.
"Now let's have the water—in two pails," the schoolmaster said, and he saw by Johnny's face that he at last understood how the ball was to be got out. Johnny ran to the barn, and soon came back with two pails of water and a funnel.