"The old well-rope used to be coiled up in a corner of the house; I don't know whether it's there now." "Look—will you?" 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. "I've got it!" he exclaimed. "Throw one end to me." This was done. "Now, do you think you can pull hard enough to draw me out? I will help myself with my feet." "I am afraid I'm not strong enough." "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. "Are you gone crazy?" "No; come here and look for yourself." 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?" "Try me and see." "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?" "I was pushed in," answered Robert. "Pushed in!" repeated Fred and his brother-in-law in concert. "Yes." "Who pushed you in?" "My employer—the man I was travelling with." "What made him do it?" "That is more than I can tell." "Was he angry with you?" "There had been no quarrel nor disagreement, and I supposed we were excellent friends." "I wouldn't fancy such a friend," said Fred, dryly. "The man must have had some motive," said Mr. Davis, who was a young lawyer. "I can't think of any. I think he may have been insane," said Robert, to whom this had occurred as a possible solution of the problem. "How long had you been with him?" "Only about a week. He proposed to me to take a walk this morning, and brought me here." "Your clothes look the worse for the fall," said Fred. "Yes, I look like a tramp," answered Robert, glancing down at his wet and muddy clothes with disgust. "I've got another suit at the hotel, unless Mr. Fitzgerald has carried off my valise. I don't much like going back there in this trim." "You needn't," said Fred. "Come home with me. You are about my size; I will lend you one of my suits, while yours is being cleansed and dried."