he edge of the pit above.

"I've got the knife all right, Fenton," he observed, curiously; "now,
what d'ye expect me to do with it? A knife alone won't pull you up; and
I reckon clotheslines don't grow around this region."

"No, but I think there's a fine stout vine close to your hand, Buck; and
if you'd be so kind as to cut that off, and let one end of it down to
me, with only a little help I'd be out of this hole in a jiffy--and
mighty thankful in the bargain."

"Well now, that is a bright idea," remarked Buck, with exasperating
slowness; "they always said you had a brain in your head, Fenton. It's a
good, strong vine too, and even a sharp knife hacks into it pretty hard.
Oh! no doubt about it holding a fellow of your nimbleness, when you
manage to get a grip on the same!"

Fred did not exactly like the way he said this. Somehow he seemed to
feel that the other was working himself up into a condition where he
would finally refuse to lend a helping hand to his old-time rival, now
that the only chance for Fred to get free seemed to rest with Buck.

As he cut away, the bully continued to talk. He was evidently enjoying
the unique situation keenly.

"Reckon you'd feel some chilly if you had to stay in that damp hole all
night; eh, Fenton?" he went on.

"I sure would," replied Fred, trying to give a little laugh; "and it
was mighty lucky for me that you and your friend happened along here
just at such a time. Now, I wouldn't have supposed that anybody would
come this way in a year; and when I hollered for help I didn't think
there was a chance in a thousand anybody'd hear."

"Well, you'd win, because it was a chance in a thousand, Fenton," Buck
went on to say, as he whittled away at the trailing vine. "Fact is, the
people down in Riverport sent a committee of old fogies up to my
governor to complain. Said I'd been guilty of a bad piece of business;
that I'd engineered the scheme for carrying Colon off to that mill, and
leaving him there, so's to knock Riverport's chances to-morrow. Perhaps
you heard something about that, Fenton?"

"Oh! I believe one of the boys did mention that there was some talk
about it being done; but honestly now, Buck, I didn't know they had gone
over to your house to interview your father," Fred answered, candidly
enough.

"Well, they did, all right," growled the other, cutting more furiously,
as his feelings began to work upon him. "And when the old man called me
in, I saw he was some m