"That's what I'm going for," he replied. "There's a carpenter's cottage over there on the road. You stay here, and I'll soon be back." He bounded away like a deer, and in a short time returned with a man almost as active and lithe as he was himself. "I guess I'm the most of a cat," he said, measuring his companion by a glance. "You hold the rope and I'll go down." "Oh, do be careful," entreated Derrice. "Those stones may be loose. I had rather lose my watch than have one of them roll on you." "We're agreed then. I've no ambition to turn into a pot of jelly," and he cautiously poised himself on the shaky well mouth. The whole structure was loose and crumbling, and every stone or brick touched took a malicious pleasure in falling upon him. In his haste he scratched his hands considerably in his descent, and upon arriving below had to move about with extreme caution. "Whew!" he exclaimed, as a brick put out the candle he had just lighted, and then fell on his toes. "I must be brief." A swing of his light, a rapid flash of his eyes, and he gave the signal to be lifted above. "Here," he said, extending the watch to Derrice as he crawled up to brightness. "It's pretty well battered, but you can have it mended. Don't wear it in such a mighty careless place again." She thanked him fervently, lent him her handkerchief to tie around one of his bleeding hands, and then accompanied him back to the wood. As soon as they entered the gates they saw Miss Gastonguay coming to meet them. Her surprised glance went from one to the other. Derrice was torn and dishevelled, and her hair was tumbling about her shoulders; while Captain White was decidedly battered in appearance, and added a slight limp to his usual gait. "Have you been in a fight?" she asked. "No, no," laughed Derrice, "first in a spruce, then in a bramble thicket, and afterward Captain White went down a well. See how his hands are bleeding,--and oh, let me tell you about my watch." Miss Gastonguay listened in silence to the tale of the misadventure; then she handed the bruised ornament back to Derrice and remarked, "You say your father gave it to you?" "Yes, my dear, dear father." "Let me have it when you have finished exhibiting it, and I will send it to my jeweller in Bangor." "Thank you, thank you," said Derrice, squeezing her hand. "And now may I run on to tell Justin?" "Certainly," said Miss Gastonguay, shortly. "You will find him in the gazeebo." Derrice tapped the pony on the neck by way of challenging him to keep up with her, and went with flying feet toward Miss Gastonguay's gazeebo, which was a summer-house situated in a clearing by the river. The pony went with her, for he knew that supper-time was approaching, and Miss Gastonguay, left alone with her guest, walked silently on beside him. After the lapse of a few seconds he drew a small object from his pocket, with a calm, "I found something beside Derrice's watch down the well." "Did you?" she said, politely.