FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98  
99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   >>   >|  
the job. His slow motions said so. "Come!" said Preston,--"be alive and do it quick, will you?" "He can't--" said Daisy. "Yes he can," said Preston. "If he can't he isn't worth his bread and salt. That's it, Sam--hand over hand, and you'll be there directly." Sam shewed what he _could_ do, if he did not like it; for he worked himself up the tall tree like a monkey. It was not so large but he could clasp it; so after a little rough work on his part and anxious watching on Daisy's, he got to the branches. But now the line was caught in the small forks at the leafy end of the branch. Sam lay out upon it as far as he dared; he could not reach the line. "O he'll fall!" cried Daisy softly. "O Preston, let him come down!--he can't get it." "He'll come to no harm," said Preston coolly. "A little further, Sam--it's oak wood, it will hold you; a little further, and you will have it--a little further!--" And Daisy saw that Sam had gone too far. The bough swayed,--Sam made a lunge after the line, lost his hold, and the next minute his dark body was falling through the air and splashed into the pool. The water flew all over the two fishers who stood by its side; Preston awe-struck for the moment, Daisy white as death. But before either of them could speak or move, Sam's head reappeared above water. "O get him out! get him out, Preston!" was Daisy's distressed cry. Preston spoke nothing, but he snatched a long stick that lay near and held it out to Sam; and so in a few minutes drew him to the shore and helped him out. Sam went to a little distance and stood dripping with water from head to foot; he did not shake himself as a Newfoundland dog would have done. "Are you hurt, Sam?" said Preston. "No, sir--" Sam answered, in a tone as if he felt very wet. "Well, you've cleared the line for me at last," said Preston. "All's well that ends well. Hollo!--here's my hook gone,--broken off, float and all. Where's that basket, Sam?" "It's below, sir." "Below? where? just fetch it here, will you? _This_ misfortune can be mended." Sam moved off, dripping from every inch of him. "O Preston," said Daisy, "he's all wet as he can be--do let him go right down to that house and dry himself! We can get the basket." "Do him good to move about," said Preston. "Nonsense, Daisy!--a ducking like that won't do anybody any harm in a summer's day." "I don't think _you'd_ like it," said Daisy; "and all his clothes are full
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98  
99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Preston

 

basket

 

dripping

 
Newfoundland
 
answered
 

distance

 
snatched

reappeared

 

distressed

 

helped

 
minutes
 

broken

 

Nonsense

 

mended


misfortune

 
cleared
 

summer

 

ducking

 

clothes

 
anxious
 

watching


monkey
 

branches

 

branch

 

caught

 

motions

 

shewed

 
worked

directly

 

fishers

 

splashed

 

struck

 

moment

 

falling

 

softly


coolly

 

minute

 

swayed