al anguish vanished.

Leaning over the edge of the well, he called down cheerily:

"How you making it?"

Wallie's voice sounded like the voice of an angel to the prisoner.
Relief and joy beyond description filled him. Hoarse as a bullfrog, he
quavered:

"In Mercy's name let me out of here, Macpherson!"

"You're all right where you are, Rufus," Wallie answered. "When you're
down there you are out of mischief."

"I'm hungry--I'm starvin'----"

"I don't know when I've eaten such a ham, tender, a delicious flavour,
and just enough fat on it--I thought of you all through dinner, Rufus."

"We've struck water--a big flow--I can hear it--it'll break through any
minute!"

"That's fine! Splendid!"

"You don't understand!" Rufus cried, desperately. "I'm liable to be
drowned before you can h'ist me out of here. I can heard it roar--like a
cloudburst!"

"Tell me about that deal between you and Canby," Wallie suggested.

"Let down the bucket!" Rufus chattered.

"Couldn't think of it. My eyeteeth are coming through and I don't like
to interrupt 'em."

"I'll make a clean breast of it."

"I don't want to pollute my well unless I have to, but that's the only
way you'll get out of there," Wallie told him, grimly.

"Canby's out to break you in one way and another. He thought there was
no water over here and he paid me to talk you into diggin' for it. He
seen me and my boys eat one day in the mess house and he said 'twould
break the Bank of England to board us, so he wanted that clause in the
contract, and after sixty-eight feet he paid us, besides a hundred and
fifty dollars bonus. I done wrong, Mr. Macpherson, and I freely admit
it!"

"And you like my cooking, Rufus? You like your food highly seasoned with
plenty of soda in the pancakes and dough-goods?"

"Yes, Mr. Macpherson," whined Rufus. "I never complained about your
cookin', I've nothin' against you personal, and I'll knock off somethin'
on the bill for bringin' in water if you'll jest let down that----" A
screech finished the sentence. Then:

"C-r-rr-ripes! She's busted through! She's comin' like a river!"

He jumped and clawed at the sides in his frenzy, and Wallie could see
that Rufus well might do so, for even as Wallie looked the water rushed
in and rose to Rufus's ankles, and before he could get the bucket over
the edge and started downward it was well to his knees, bubbling faster
with every second as the opening widened.

It was indeed time for ac