"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.
"I don't see how I am to do it," said Fred, after a pause.
"Isn't there a rope round about there somewhere?"
"The old well-rope used to be coiled up in a corner of the house; I don't know whether it's there now."
Fred needed no second request. He went to the house and was fortunate enough to find the rope. He brought it with him to the edge of the well.
"Now, do you think you can pull hard enough to draw me out? I will help myself with my feet."
"Suppose you try," said Robert, who didn't like to give up the hope of an immediate escape.
"Stop, there's my brother-in-law coming across the fields," said Fred, eagerly. "He will help me."
"Mr. Davis!" he cried, "come here and help me."
"What are you up to, Fred?" inquired the young man addressed. "Are you fishing in the well?"
"Yes; I am fishing—for a boy," responded Fred.
Davis did so, and was sensible enough to understand, though very much surprised, that it would be best to postpone his inquiries till the boy was rescued.
"Give me hold of the rope!" he said. "Now, you boy down there, can you give a good, firm grip?"
"If you let it slip through your fingers you will fall back and hurt yourself."
"I won't let it slip. Keep firm hold yourself."
It was not altogether an easy task, and Robert was rubbed unpleasantly against the sides of the well; but at length victory crowned the efforts of the three, and our hero, his clothes looking none the better for his immersion in the water, and his contact with the sides of the well gave him a decided tramp-like appearance.
"Well, here you are!" said Mr. Davis. "How did you get into the well? Did you fall in?"
"Pushed in!" repeated Fred and his brother-in-law in concert.