Janus was working the ankle up a
little at a time. "Can you hold her?"

"Yes. Tell us when you have freed the foot, please. You will have to
steady her. Hold her feet together, if possible. That will make it
easier for us. We mustn't drop her."

"One more lift and--whoa! It's free!"

Harriet knew that without his saying so. A sudden weight was thrown on
her arms, nearly tipping her over. Harriet's face grew red under the
strain. Glancing up, she saw that the injured foot was indeed free.

"Let go, Jane, but watch her head to see that it doesn't get bumped."

"You can't handle her alone, darlin'. Better let me help you,"
counseled Jane.

"Yes I can. But be ready to catch her in case anything goes wrong.
Please don't try to help her down to me, Mr. Grubb, you'll surely throw
me over if you do," warned Harriet. "Miss Elting, you and the girls
hold a blanket to catch her if we should let her fall."

Space was so limited in the tree that everyone up there was laboring
under great difficulties.

"Better let me get down there," suggested Janus.

Harriet shook her head. She was slowly righting the now half
unconscious girl, every muscle trembling under the strain she was
putting upon it.

"Hooray!" cried Crazy Jane.

"I swum, but she is strong," muttered Janus admiringly. "I reckon----"
He did not complete what he had started to say. A warning snap told
him that something was giving way.

Harriet had heard and understood. She shifted her weight to one foot,
but the combined weight of the two was too much for the limb. It broke
from under her with amazing suddenness.

"Catch us!" screamed Harriet.

Jane grabbed frantically for Harriet and her burden as they came
crashing down. But, instead of lending assistance, Jane pulled Harriet
toward her just as the latter was reaching out one hand for a limb by
which to break the fall. She missed the limb of the tree by an inch or
so. Jane's effort threw her off her balance also. The three girls
went crashing down.

"Hold the blanket hard!" shouted Harriet. Then, with rare presence of
mind, she let go of her burden. The object in doing this was that
Hazel might land on the upraised blanket and thus break her fall.
Harriet reasoned that she and Jane were better able to take care of
themselves than was Hazel in her half unconscious condition. Hazel
reached the blanket first, but her fall was of such force that the
blanket was jerked from the hands