men ran from him blindly yelling one to the other; and
the next thing I heard was a couple of splashes in the dam.

"Why, they're trying to swim across," cried Uncle Dick; and we at once
ran to the end of the yard to where it was bounded by the stone-bordered
dam.

"Show the light, Cob," cried Uncle Jack; and as I made it play upon the
water there was one man swimming steadily for the other side, with Piter
standing at the edge baying him furiously, but the other man was not
visible.

Then the surface of the water was disturbed and a hand appeared, then
another, to begin beating and splashing.

"Why, the fellow can't swim," cried Uncle Jack; and catching his
brother's hand he reached out, holding his stick ready for the man to
grasp.

It was an exciting scene in the darkness, with the ring of light cast by
the lantern playing upon the dark surface of the water, which seemed to
be black rippled with gold; and there in the midst was the distorted
face of the workman, as he yelled for help and seemed in imminent danger
of drowning.

He made two or three snatches at the stick, but missed it, and his
struggles took him farther from the edge into the deep water close by,
where the wall that supported the great wheel was at right angles to
where we stood.

It was a terribly dangerous and slippery place, but Uncle Jack did not
hesitate. Walking along a slippery ledge that was lapped by the water,
he managed to reach the drowning man, holding to him his stick; and then
as the fellow clutched it tightly he managed to guide him towards the
edge, where Uncle Dick knelt down, and at last caught him by the collar
and drew him out, dripping and half insensible.

"Down, dog!" cried Uncle Dick as Piter made a dash at his enemy, who now
lay perfectly motionless.

Piter growled a remonstrance and drew back slowly, but as he reached the
man's feet he made a sudden dart down and gave one of his ankles a pinch
with his trap-like jaws.

The effect was instantaneous. The man jumped up and shook his fist in
our faces.

"Yow'll get it for this here," he roared. "Yow threw me in dam and then
set your dawg at me. Yow'll hev it for this. Yow'll see. Yow'll--"

"Look here," said Uncle Bob, mimicking the fellow's broad rough speech,
"hadn't yow better go home and take off your wet things?"

"Yow pitched me in dam and set dawg at me," cried the fellow again.

"Go home and get off your wet things and go to bed," said Uncle Jack