t a rope, or a pole," gasped poor Tom and ran off on a
search. "And I thought I was having a good joke! Oh, I certainly must
be going crazy!" he muttered.

In the meantime Songbird had thrown himself on his hands and knees and
crawled to the edge of the old well hole. He called out several times,
but got no reply. He heard a great floundering and splashing.

"Hi, you!" he continued. "Are you alive?"

"Sa--save us!" came the spluttered-out words, from Spud. "Sa--save us!"

"Are you both alive?" continued Songbird, anxiously.

"Yes," answered Stanley. "But we need help, for the water is over our
heads. Get a rope, or something, and be quick about it!"

"Hang on the best you can and we'll help you," was the answer.

"Well, don't be too long about it, or we'll be drowned!" came in a
shivering tone from Spud.

CHAPTER IV

THE OLD WELL HOLE

The three youths at the top of the old well hole gazed around
anxiously. All were looking for a rope, but no such article presented
itself to their view. There was a bit of iron chain lying in the dead
leaves nearby, but it was too short to be of service.

"I don't see anything to use," remarked Songbird, wildly. "Oh, Sam,
this is awful!"

"Come on, I think I see something," answered the younger Rover. "Tom,
you can help bring it over."

He took his half-dazed brother by the arm, more to keep him from
approaching too close to the well than for any other reason, and the
three boys raced to where a number of saplings were growing. Sam had
noted that one of the saplings had been bent over by the wind and was
partly uprooted.

"Maybe we can get it up--we've got to do it!" he cried. "Come, catch
hold and pull for all you are worth!"

The others understood and laid hold of the young tree, which was all of
fifteen feet high and several inches in diameter. It had but few
branches, which was an advantage. They bent it down and pulled with a
will, and out of the ground it came, so suddenly that the boys fell
flat on their backs.

"Wait, I'll break off some of the branches!" cried Sam. "Tom,
Songbird, try to break off that twisted root. There, that will do.
Now, if we can get it down the well they ought to be able to climb up
on it."

It was but the work of a few seconds to drag the sapling to the hole.
Then it was lifted upright, so that the end might not dig into the
sides of the well and cause a cave-in.

"Look out below there!" shouted Sam.

"Don