Digs and Finds what he did not Expect. 79

 

to fancy they heard a curious sound, which they
agreed was more like that of running water than
anything else they could think of Now, except a
well in the street, just before the cottage, there was
no water they knew of much nearer than the river,
and they wondered a good deal.

At length Sandy’s pickaxe got hold of a stone
which he could not move, do what he would. He
tried another, and succeeded, but soon began to
suspect that there was some masonry there, Con-
tenting himself therefore with clearing out only the
loose stones, he soon found plainly enough that he
was working in a narrow space, around which was a
circular wall of solid stone and lime. The sound of
running water was now clear enough, and the earth
in the hole was very damp. Sandy had now got
down three or four feet below the level.

“Tt’s an old well,” he said. “There can be no
doubt of it.”

“Does it smell bad?” asked Willie, peeping
down disappointed.

“Not a bit,” answered Sandy.

“Then it’s not stagnant,” said Willie.

“You might have told that by your ears without
troubling your nose,” said Sandy. “Didn’t you
hear it running?”

“ How can it be running when it’s buried away
down there?” said Willie.

“ How can it make a noise if it isn’t running?”