ith his fingers thrust into his ears.

"Now, then," shouted Mr Solomon to the plumber, as Ike came running up
straight across beds, bushes, everything. "Now, then, you said the well
was safe; go down and fetch him up."

The plumber went upon one knee, seized the top of the ladder, and got up
again shaking his head.

"I can't afford it," he said. "I've a wife and bairns at home."

"I--I daren't go down," groaned Mr Solomon. "Man, man, what shall we
do?"

"It scares me," growled Ike hoarsely; "but I've got no wife and no
bairns; and if Master Grant here says, `Go,' I'll go, though," he added
slowly, "it's going down into one's grave."

"Can you see him, Grant?" cried Mr Solomon.

"Yes; down on the wood," I said in a hoarse whisper; "he's lying across
a beam with his head down. What shall we do?"

As I asked this piteously I raised my head, to see Philip close by me
kneeling on the gravel, his eyes half closed, his face of a yellowish
grey, his hands clenched, and his teeth chattering.

No one spoke, and as I looked from one man to the other every face was
pale and stony-looking, for the men felt that to go down into that
carbonic acid gas was to give up life.

I felt horribly frightened, and as if I were sinking somewhere. I
glanced round, and there was the beautiful garden all flowers and fruit,
with the glorious sunshine over all. Below me that terrible pit with
the falling whispering water, and a chill seeming to rise out of its
depths.

As I looked I saw Shock coming towards us at a run, as if he divined
that something was the matter, and the sight of him made me think of Mr
Brownsmith's garden and my happy life there, and I gave a low sob as my
eyes filled with tears.

I tell you I felt horribly frightened, and all this that has taken so
long to describe seemed to pass in a flash--almost as I started from
gazing down the well to my feet.

"Tie the rope round me," I said huskily. "You can pull me up if I
fall."

"Well done, young un!" shouted the plumber, catching up the coil of
rope. "I like pluck, I do."

"You stand aside," cried Ike, snatching the rope from him and giving him
a rough thrust with his elbow. "I'll do this here."

He ran the rope rapidly through his hands, and secured one end about my
chest.

Then he made a running noose at the other end.

"Look here," he cried. "You take this here noose in your hand, my lad;
there's plenty of rope to reach down double. When you gets