've climbed larger trees than this
at school."

And, taking advantage of the rough places of the bark, the boy swarmed
up to where the branches made the climbing less laborious, and then he
went on up and up, higher and higher, till the tree began to quiver and
bend, and he shouted to his sister, breathlessly watching him, her
little heart beating fast the while.

She was not the only watcher, for another barge was coming along the
river, and, as it drew nearer, the boy on the horse stopped his steed
and the man steering lay back to look up. And higher and higher went
Ned, till the tree began to bend with his weight, and he laughingly gave
it an impetus to make it swing him when he was about six feet from where
the kite hung upside down by its tangled tail, but happily untorn.
"Look out, Tiz!" shouted Ned.

"Yes, yes, dear; but do take care."

"All right," he cried. "I'm going to cut off his tail, and I shall say
when. Then you pull the string and it will come down. Wo-ho!" he
cried, as he tugged out his knife, for the tree bent and bent like a
fishing-rod, the spiny centre on which he was being now very thin.
Then, steadying himself, he climbed the last six feet and hung over
backwards, holding up his legs and one hand, as he used his knife and
divided the string tail. "Pull, Tiz, pull!" he shouted, "Run!"

Tizzy obeyed and the kite followed her.

"Hoo-ray," shouted Ned, taking off his cap to give it a wave, when,
crick! crack! the tree snapped twenty feet below him, and the next
moment poor Ned was describing a curve in the air, for the wood and bark
held the lower part like a huge hinge, while Ned clung tightly for some
moments before he was flung outwards, to fall with a tremendous splash.

Poor Tizzy heard the sharp snap of the tree and turned, to gaze in
horror at her brother's fall, uttering a wild shriek as she saw him
disappear in the sparkling water; and then in her childlike dread she
closed her eyes tightly, stopped her ears, and ran blindly across the
meadow, shrieking with all her little might and keeping her eyes fast
closed, till she found herself caught up and a shower of questions were
put.

They were in vain at first, for the poor child was utterly dazed, hardly
recognising the friendly arms which had caught her up, till those arms
gave her a good shake.

"Master Ned!--why don't you speak, child?--where's your brother?"

"Oh," shrieked Tizzy, "the water--the water! Tumbled in."

"O