90 Fistory of Gutta-Percha Willie,

 

Well, believing it a cure for every disease under
the sun. Run into the house and fetch me a jug.”

“Yes, papa,” said Willie, and bounded off.

There was no little brook careering through the
garden now—only a few pools here and there—
and its channel would soon be dry in the hot sun.
But Willie thought how delightful it was to be
able to have one there whenever he pleased. And
it might be a much bigger brook too, for, instead
of using the stone which could but partly block
the water from the underground way, he would
cut a piece of wood large enough to cover the
opening, and rounded a little to fit the side of the
well; then he would put the big stone just so far
from the opening that the piece of wood could get
through between it and the side of the well, and
so be held tight. Then all the water would be
forced to mount up, get out at the top, and run
through the garden.

Meantime Mr Macmichael, having gone to see
what course the water had taken, and how it had
left the garden, found that, after a very circuitous
route, it had run through the hedge into a surface
drain in the field, and so down the hill towards
the river.

When Willie brought him the jug, he filled it
from the well, and carried the water into his sur-
gery. There he put a little of it into several
different glasses, and dropping something out of