We were sitting about on the sods after supper when a man
rode up on horseback, who said he was looking for some lost
stock. We asked him to have something to eat, and he accepted the
invitation, and afterwards talked a long time, and gave us much
information which we wished about the country. Somebody mentioned
the little well, and the man turned to Ollie and said:
"How would you like to slip down such a well?"
"I'm afraid I'm too big," answered Ollie. "Well, perhaps you
are; but there was a child last summer over near where I live who
wasn't too big. He was a little fellow not much over two years
old. The well was a new one, and the curb was almost even with
the top of the ground. He slipped down feet first. It was a
hundred and twenty feet deep, with fifteen feet of water at the
bottom; but he fitted pretty snug, and only went down about fifty
feet at first. His mother missed him, saw that the cover was gone
from the well, and listened. She heard his voice, faint and
smothered. There was no one else at home. She called to him not
to stir, and went to the barn, where there was a two-year-old
colt.
Pages:
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73