A glorious game!
The sport went on very nicely until Tommy Barrett took hold of the
rope. He was the biggest boy, and the little fellows could not raise
him. No, it was no use, so they gave it up and jumped off of the pole.
But what was their amazement to see the stone rise in the air, while
at the same time Tommy Barrett disappeared down the well!
The fact was, Tommy had been trying to "show off" a little before the
girls, and when he found the boys could not raise him, had stepped on
the well-curb, and pushing the bucket off, had stood on it, trying, on
his part, to raise the boys. So, when they jumped off, down he sank.
The stone was not nearly so heavy as Tommy, but it was weighty enough
to prevent his going down very fast, and he arrived safely at the
bottom, where the boys and girls saw him, when they crowded around the
well, standing up to his arm-pits in water.
"Pull me up, quick!" cried Tommy, who still stood on the bucket, and
had hold of the rope.
The children did not wait to be asked twice. They seized the rope and
pulled their very best. But they could not move Tommy one inch. The
rope hung right down the middle of the well, and as they had to reach
over a good deal even to touch it, they could get no opportunity of
exerting their full strength upon it.
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