and the boys soon came out again. Not far away was a well hole, rather deep and partly filled with water.
Tom was the first to notice this hole, which was partly covered with rotted boards. Of a sudden he commenced to grin, as if he scented a huge joke. He ran up and rearranged the rotted boards, so they completely covered the hole. Then in the center he placed the bright-colored cap he had been wearing, and hurried along, to the path leading beside the dam.
"Hi, Stanley!" he called out, as the others came from the mill. "Get my cap, will you? The wind blew it off. It's back there somewhere."
"I see it!" shouted Stanley.
"I see it, too," came from Spud, who was close by. "I'll race you for it, Stan."
"Done!" was the reply, and side by side the two collegians raced for the cap.
"An apple for the fellow who wins!" shouted Sam, who saw nothing wrong in what was going on.
"Leg it, both of you!" added Songbird.
Side by side Stanley and Spud sped over the uneven ground in the direction of the cap. Then both made a plunge forward in true football style. In a heap they landed on the rotted boards, each catching hold of the coveted headwear. Then came an ominous crash, and both boys disappeared headlong into the well hole!
"Look! Look what has happened!" shrieked Sam, in dismay.
"They are in the old well!" gasped Songbird.
"Ha! ha! ha! Ho! ho!" came from Tom, and he shook with laughter. "Isn't that the dandy joke? I thought Stanley would go in, but I didn't expect to catch the pair of 'em."
"Tom!" cried Sam, in new horror. "You didn't really mean – "
"Sure I did. I put my cap there on purpose. Say, they had some tumble, didn't they?" And Tom commenced to laugh again – a strange laugh that didn't sound like him at all.
"They'll be drowned – we must save them!" exclaimed Sam, hoarsely. "Songbird, what can we do?" he added, turning to his chum.
"I don't know – maybe we can throw 'em a rope – if there is one around."
"Let 'em crawl out – it's easy enough," came from Tom. "Don't you spoil the joke." And he commenced to laugh again.
"Tom, don't act as if you were crazy!" said Sam, catching him by the arm and shaking him. "Those fellows can't get out without help – it's too deep! And the sides may cave in on top of them! And there is water down there, too! We must help them, and at once."
Tom stared at his brother in bewilderment. Then of a sudden the look of fun died out of his face and was succeeded by a look of horror and terror combined.
"Did I do that, Sam? Oh, what a foolish thing to do! Yes, we must help them! What shall I do? I'll jump down after them if you say so!" And Tom started forward.
"No, don't do that!" Sam held him back. "We'll get a rope, or a long pole. Don't go too close or you may cave the top of the well in on 'em."
"Yes, we must get 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't knock any stones on us!" came back from Stanley. He and Spud had braced themselves on the sides of the old well, with the water up to their waists.
"We'll be as careful as we can," answered Songbird.
"Look out for dirt in your eyes," added Tom. All the fun had died out of him and his face was full of concern.
Slowly and cautiously the three boys lowered the sapling into the old well hole. In doing this they had to stand close to the edge, and once they sent down a shower of loose dirt that caused a wild cry of alarm from below.
"Go slow!" cried Spud, presently. "I've got it," he added, a second later. "Let her come," and then the sapling was lowered until the roots rested on the bottom of the hole. The top was now several feet below the top of the old well.
"The old chain – just the thing!" cried Sam, and took it up.
"You had better come up close together," suggested Songbird, peering down at those below. "Then, if the well caves in, you'll be up that far anyway."
This was thought good advice and Stanley and Spud determined to act on it. Stanley came first with Spud at his heels. The many small branches of the sapling afforded good holds, and as each of the youths was something of an athlete, both of them came up with comparative ease.
"Can't get any higher," remarked Stanley, when within two feet of the top of the sapling. "It's almost ready to break now."
"Catch hold of the chain!" cried Sam. "I'll hold it. Tom and Songbird, you hold
