of it, my lad," said the plumber. "I knowed a case
once where five chaps went down one after the other to save him as had
gone first, and they all fell to the bottom and died."

"There, for goodness' sake, man, don't talk like that to the lad after
what he has gone through," said Mrs Solomon.

"All right, mum," said the plumber; "but as I was going to say, I don't
think I shall have the heart to go down today, but I'll see how the air
is whether or no."

"You're not going out," said Mrs Solomon.

"Yes, please; it will do me good," I said; and the air did seem to
refresh me, as I followed them back to the well, where the plumber tried
it again by lowering down the lighted candle, to find it burn brightly
till it was down by the cross piece on which young Dalton had lain,
after which it went out directly.

He tried it again and again, always with the same result.

"It's got lower and lower," he said. "By to-morrow there won't be much
in. That young gent couldn't have been overcome by the bad air," he
continued. "It's my belief as he fell out of being frightened, and it's
lucky for him that he stopped where he did. If he'd gone a foot lower,
that doctor wouldn't have brought him round."

"Well," said Mr Solomon rather impatiently, "what are you going to do?"

"Kiver up the well for to-day, and come on tomorrow."

"But we want water."

"Can't help it; I couldn't go down and work there to-day. My nerves is
shook."

"Suppose we put a rope round you."

"Bless your heart, Mr Brownsmith, sir, I couldn't go down if you put
two ropes round me. I'm just going to lift out this here ladder, and
then p'r'aps your man will help me put on the stone."

Mr Solomon grunted, and I looked on, shivering a little in spite of the
hot sunshine as I saw the ladder lifted out and laid down beside the
path by Ike, after which Mr Solomon himself helped to put the stone
back in its place before walking with the plumber towards the gate.

"How was it all, Ike?" I said eagerly.

"Oh, you'd better ask young Shock here."

Shock, who was in a stiff suit of corduroys, looked at him sharply, spun
round, and ran off.

"Y'ever see the likes o' him?" said Ike chuckling. "Puts me in mind of
a scared dog, he do, reg'lar."

"But tell me," I said; "how was it? I don't remember."

"Well, it were like this, you see," said Ike. "I were holding the rope
tightly and watching of you, and I see you slip on the noose, and
tightened it, a