freely from one leg.

"Dick, what shall we do?" cried Tom piteously.

"Why, what would anybody do if he had cut his finger?" cried Dick
manfully, as he undid his neckcloth and doubled it afresh.

"I don't know," cried Tom, who was sadly scared.

"You don't know! Suppose you had cut your finger, wouldn't you tie it
up?"

"Yes, I suppose so," faltered Tom, whom the situation had completely
unnerved.

"Take off his neckerchief while I tie this on," said Dick, whom the
emergency had rendered more helpful. "How can he have hurt himself like
this?"

As he spoke he busied himself in tightly bandaging the man's leg, and
added to the bandage the cotton cloth that Tom handed to him.

"I think that has stopped it," said Dick. "Now then, we must carry him
down."

"But we shall sink into the bog with him," faltered Tom.

"No, we sha'n't if we are careful. Now, then, are you ready?"

"I don't like to try and lift him now," said Tom. "It's so horrible.
The man's bleeding to death."

"More shame for you to stand still and not try to help him," said Dick
hotly. "Here, you come and carry this end."

Tom hastened to obey, heedless of the fact that the task would be the
harder; and setting to with a will, the lads carried their load a few
yards before setting it down again to rest.

This time, in spite of Tom's appeal not to be left alone, Dick went on
for a bit so as to explore and make sure of the best way to get back to
the boat, and not without avail, for he was able, in spite of the
darkness, to pick out the firmest ground, his knowledge of the growth of
the fen and its choice of soil helping him.

But it was a long and painful task. The lads were faint and terribly
hungry. They had been working hard for several hours propelling the
punt, and the load they were carrying would not have been an easy one
for a couple of stout men. Still, by means of that wonderful aid to
success, perseverance, they at last got past bog and water-pool, patch
of sphagnum, bed of reed, and slimy hollow, where the cotton rushes
nourished, and reached the belt of waving reeds which separated them
from the water.

It was not done without tremendous effort and a constant succession of
rests; but they stood there at last bathed in perspiration, and waiting
for a few minutes before lifting the sufferer into the boat.

Up to this time they had been so busy and excited that they had not
paused to ask the question: How was it that the