o was standing on
the deck of the steam-boat, if she might go. Mrs. Chipperton said she
supposed so, and away we went. When we had rowed out to the middle of
the spring, I stopped rowing, and we looked down into the depths. It was
almost the same as looking into air. Far down at the bottom we could see
the glittering sand and the green rocks, and sometimes a fish, as long
as my arm, would slowly rise and fall, and paddle away beneath us. We
dropped nickels and copper cents down to the bottom, and we could
plainly see them lying there. In some parts of the bottom there were
"wells," or holes, about two feet in diameter, which seemed to go down
indefinitely. These, we were told, were the places where the water came
up from below into the spring. We could see the weeds and grasses that
grew on the edges of these wells, although we could not see very far
down into them.

"If I had only known," said Rectus, "what sort of a place we were coming
to, I should have brought something to lower down into these wells. I
tell you what would have been splendid!--a heavy bottle filled with
sweet oil and some phosphorus, and a long cord. If we shook up the
bottle it would shine, so that, when we lowered it into the wells, we
could see it go down to the very bottom, that is, if the cord should be
long enough."

At this instant, Corny went overboard! Rectus made a grab at her, but it
was too late. He sprang to his feet, and I thought he was going over
after her, but I seized him.

"Sit down!" said I. "Watch her! She'll come up again. Lean over and be
ready for her!"

We both leaned over the bow as far as was safe. With one hand I gently
paddled the boat, this way and that, so as to keep ourselves directly
over Corny. It would have been of no use to jump in. We could see her as
plainly as anything.

She was going down, all in a bunch, when I first saw her, and the next
instant she touched the bottom. Her feet were under now, and I saw her
make a little spring. She just pushed out her feet.

Then she began to come right up. We saw her slowly rising beneath us.
Her face was turned upward, and her eyes were wide open. It was a
wonderful sight. I trembled from head to foot. It seemed as if we were
floating in the air, and Corny was coming up to us from the earth.

Before she quite reached the surface, I caught her, and had her head out
of water in an instant. Rectus then took hold, and with a mighty jerk,
we pulled her into the boat.