Easy now. O
scissors, there goes my other boot! The next thing will be that I shall
get my legs in for good, and by to-morrow morning early the water will be
over us all. Come, friend, you don't want to get drowned. Pull away!
Steady there! Move on! We are making progress, you see. Again, there! On
she goes! Hem--now, once more! All together! There we are!"

There came a series of such trials, and finally Will shouted, "Must be
almost there--and--" bump they went against the stone wall at the upper
end of the dock.

"Three cheers, friend!"

"Hip--hip--hip--"

"No matter about giving them. Now we will work along to some steps back of
a barn. Careful!"

When the steps had been reached Will exclaimed, "So far, so good, friend."

"Yes--hic--I'm glad--I've--hic--got you--hic--so far safe--hic."

"Got me? You have my thanks. Well, now, you stay here by these steps until
I come for you. I will fetch a light. Stay here, now."

"I will--hic."

Will felt his way along the base of the wall until he came to the lane.
The stones in the wall were smooth with the slime accumulating there for
years, and it was hard work to get his feet out of the mud, and very hard
then to get them up and over the wall. He succeeded though, and grasping a
rail-fence and mounting it, dropped down into the lane.

"Glad to touch solid ground," thought Will, "though I be in my
stocking-feet."

He hurried to Aunt Stanshy's door, which had been left unlocked for his
admittance, and opening it, stepped upon the entry oil-cloth.

"Tick--tick! Who comes here?" the old clock now seemed to say, loudly,
solemnly ticking.

"How I shall muddy this sacred floor! Can't help it, though! Aunt
Stanshy," he now began to call; at the same time he rapped on the
baluster. "Aunt Stanshy!"

He looked up and saw the light from the lamp that she kept burning at
night. Soon there was the sound of a stirring, and a tall figure in white
bent over the railing. A second and smaller statue of snow was there in a
moment, leaning over the railing by the side of Aunt Stanshy.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I'm sorry to trouble you, but I've just come from the dock, and--"

"Why, you look like a mud-turtle," said Aunt Stanshy, bending over still
farther and holding out the lamp, whose light fell on Will.

"Mud-turtle? I don't wonder you say so, and there's another and
worse-looking one out in the dock."

"Two mud-turtles? What do you mean? Where _have_ you been?"

"