Seeing us pass his house and knowing what we
were in quest of, Willis, curious to know what success we would have,
had followed us. He had lost track of us in the woods for a time, but
had finally heard the basswood fall and then had found us.
Even at that distance across the gully I saw Willis's face break into a
grin when he saw me perched in the hemlock. For the present, however, I
was too much worried to be proud and implored his aid. He looked round a
while, exchanged a few words with old Hughy and then hailed me.
"I guess we shall have to fell that hemlock to get you down," he
shouted, laughing.
Naturally, I did not want that done.
"I shall have to go home for a long rope," he went on, becoming serious.
"If we can get the end of a rope up there, you can tie it to a limb and
then come down hand over hand. But I don't think our folks have a rope
long enough; I may have to go round to the old Squire's for one."
Since old Hughy had no better plan to suggest, Willis set off on the
run. As the distance was fully two miles, I had a long wait before me,
and so I made myself as comfortable as I could on the limb and settled
down to wait.
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