“No, it’s nasty.  It’s too warm.  I know,” and she reached for two tin cups.  “There’s a nice cool spring just up the brook.  I have often got water there.  You keep off the flies from the food.  I won’t be a minute.”

Leaving David, Betty hurried up along the edge of the brook until she reached the spring bubbling out of the bank.  Filling the cups she made her way back as carefully as possible so as not to spill any of the water.  She had just reached the edge of the clearing when a strange sound fell upon her ears.  It startled her, and looking up, her face blanched with terror, for coming down the steep bank was one of the large poles which had been separated from its companions.  It was only a few seconds in making the descent, but in that brief space of time a world of thought crowded into Betty’s excited brain.  She saw David sitting right in the track of death, unconscious of impending doom.  Betty tried to shout, to rush forward to rescue him, but no words came from her lips, and her feet seemed glued to the ground.  Rapidly the pole sped down the bank, and then just when but a score of feet from the helpless old man it struck the large stump in its onward sweep.  With a wild bound it leaped high and like a mighty catapult hurled itself through the air over David’s head and fell with a terrific crash into the brook below.

At first a wild scream of terror escaped Betty’s lips, followed instantly by a cry of joy as she rushed forward, seized the hand of the bewildered old man and led him to a place of safety near the edge of the forest.  Then her strength deserted her, and she sank down upon the ground and wept like a child.

“Oh, Mr. David, Mr. David,” she sobbed, “you were nearly killed.  Oh, oh, oh!  Wasn’t it awful!”

“There, there, Betty, don’t feel so badly,” and David stroked her hair in a gentle manner.  “I’m all right now, so why should you cry?”

“But I can’t help it,” the girl moaned.  “I was sure you would be killed, and I could do nothing to save you.”

“Strange,” her companion mused, “what started that log just as I was sitting there.  It must have been loose and ready to start at the least motion.”

“Let us go home,” and Betty rose suddenly to her feet.  “I don’t want to stay here any longer.  The place is not like it used to be.  I do not feel safe.  There seems to be danger everywhere.”

Hurrying as fast as possible across the open space and casting apprehensive glances up the bank lest another pole should take a sudden notion to come down, they soon reached the woods beyond.

“There, I feel safer now,” Betty panted.  “Those poles can’t touch us, anyway.”

“I did want to see the falls,” David replied, “and I am quite disappointed.  But I do not feel able to try the trip again as it tires me too much.”

“Suppose we ask Mr. Jasper to drive you there,” Betty suggested.  “I know he will be only too pleased to do it.  Isn’t it funny we didn’t think of that before?”