before, and nobody had thought of
wanting them. It was plain, however, that Roger had a fancy for this
particular copper boiler; for he carefully waylaid it, and arrested it
with his paddle. Oliver then saw that some live animal leaped from the
boiler into the tub. He saw Roger seize the boiler, and take it into
the tub; catch up the animal, whatever it might be, and nurse it in his
arms; and then take something out of his pocket, and stoop down. Oliver
was pretty sure he was killing something with his knife.

Whatever Roger was doing he had soon done. By this time he had again
been carried down as far as the line would allow; and the additional
weight he had now on board his tub made it harder work for him to paddle
up again. He did it, however, and brought his odd little boat into
still water, between the dunghill and the cow. After looking about him
for a while, he threw out the boiler and the pitcher upon the dunghill,
seized a pitchfork which was stuck upright in it, and, his craft being
thus lightened, made for the ruins of the cart shed and stable.

Of these buildings there remained only wrecks of the walls, and a few
beams and rafters standing up in the air, or lying across each other,
without any thatch to cover them. Something must be left inside,
however; for Roger was busy with his pitchfork. This something must be
valuable, too; for Roger, after carefully feeling the depth, jumped out
of the tub, and went on filling it, while he stood in the water. Oliver
thought this very daring, till, glancing at the cow, he was sure he saw
more of her neck and back; and examining the wall of the house, he
perceived that the flood had sunk some inches since Roger began to
cross.

When the tub was heaped up with what looked like wet straw, Roger pushed
it before him towards the cow, carefully feeling his way, but never
sinking so much as to have the water above his shoulders.

"Capital! Now that is clever!" said Oliver, aloud, as he sat at the
window, and saw what Roger was about. "He is going to lift her up out
of the water. How she struggles to help herself! She knows there is
somebody caring for her; and she will do what she can for herself."

This was true. Roger thrust the straw he had brought under the cow,
with his pitchfork. He had to bring three loads before she could raise
her whole body; but then she stood, poor thing! With only her trembling
legs in the water. Roger turned her head so that