Well, half of the distance separating them from the top had been safely
navigated, and so far no accident had occurred. Hugh kept encouraging
his charge from time to time; and then speaking words also to the
laboring, anxious boy above, directing him just how to proceed.

Finally they reached the top. Hugh still ordered "Just" Smith to hold
the pole as he had been doing. Then he managed to push Claude up so
that he could crawl over the edge, which the other did in a speedy
manner, bordering on the ludicrous.

Then, to the surprise, as well as delight of Hugh, what did Claude
do but turn and stretch out a helping hand, as though his first
thought was to assist his rescuer to top the rise; indeed, Hugh's one
arm was so utterly gone that he could hardly count on it for a single
thing. Hugh would not be apt to forget this action on the part of
the "sissy"; it proved what he had all along more than half suspected,
that Claude really did have the making of a genuine boy in him, given
half a chance for it to show itself, and the seed to germinate. And
Hugh determined that he would make it his particular business to see
that there came a change in Claude's dreary life. His mother could
hardly refuse anything asked by the one to whom she owed the life of
her son.

Soon the trio lay upon the ground, breathing hard, and trying to talk
at the same time. Both Hugh and "Just" Smith were consumed with
curiosity to know how Claude happened to get into such a strange
predicament, and he hastened to explain.

After all, there was nothing so very singular about it. His mother
had stopped in to see an old nurse, who had been in the family many