ion.

It seemed a long time to the imprisoned boy, but as a matter of fact,
Tavia was back very soon with "reinforcements."

Besides Dorothy and Ned, there came to the rescue a woman, who just
happened by and heard of the danger. She knew the spring, and,
depositing her basket of eggs in a safe place, pulled a fence rail from
its post, and with Ned holding one end hurried on to the spring. By
this time Nat was almost exhausted, for though it was an August day,
standing to the waist in cold spring water was not an enjoyable
position.

"I found the spring," he tried to joke, as the others came up to him.

"So we see," drawled Ned.

"Here," called the strange woman, who evidently knew exactly what to
do. "Young man, you take this end of the rail to the other side. I'll
hold my end here, and the boy can pull out across it."

Dorothy and Tavia looked on anxiously. They had heard of persons being
swallowed up in quick-sands. Might not this be such a danger?

The pool was uncomfortably wide just where Nat chose to try its depth,
so that it was difficult to span it with the fence rail.

"Easy now," called the little woman in the big sunbonnet. "Take hold
first, then draw yourself up."

Nat was only too anxious to do as he was told. It did seem so good to
have something solid within reach once more.

But tug as he would, he could not extricate his feet.

"Guess some Chinaman has a hold of me," he said, trying to make the
best of his predicament.

"Wait a minute," called the farm woman. "There, now, you take the rail
to the top of the spring and get down on it. Then you (to Nat) swing
right up on it--now there, you've got it! Hold tight. Come here young
girls. Quick! Pull! Pull! Altogether! There you are!" and, at that
moment, a very muddy form was dragged from the spring. Nat was on dry
land again.

CHAPTER III

A QUEER SPRING SUIT

"Don't stop to talk unless you want to get the chills from that
spring," urged the little country woman in the big sunbonnet, "but just
chase across that field as fast as you can. If we are not on the road
when you get there, keep right on running. It's the only thing. Then
I'll see what I can do for you in the line of clothes. Sam hasn't got
much, but they're clean."

Nat stood shivering. The mud had relieved him of both shoes.

"Run along," ordered the woman, "I tell you I know all about the kind
of chills that come from that spring water. Why, we