"Mebbe 'twon't be nothin' wuss than a broken bone noway, an' the
doctor, he can fix that."

Jerome shook his head.

"The doctor, he's goin' to do everything that can be done," said
Jake. "He's sent Lawrence over to East Corners for some ropes an'
grapplin'-hooks."

Then Jerome roused himself. "What for?" he demanded, in a furious
voice.

Jake hesitated and colored. "Mebbe I hadn't ought to have said that,"
he stammered. "Course there ain't no need of havin' 'em. It's just
because the doctor wants to do everything he can."

"What for?"

"Well--you know there's the pond--an'--"

"Didn't I tell you my father didn't go near the pond?"

"Well, I don't s'pose he did," said Jake, shrewdly; "but it won't do
no harm to drag it, an' then everybody will know for sure he didn't."

"Can't drag it anyhow," said Jerome, and there was an odd accent of
triumph in his voice. "The Dead Hole 'ain't got any bottom."

Jake laughed. "That's a darned lie," said he. "I helped drag it
myself once, forty year ago; a girl by the name of 'Lizy Ann Gooch