Several hands were held out to help him, but he shook his head and said--"Got a knife ?" Two or three jack-knives were out in an instant.

He pointed to the alder thicket.

"I want two poles," he said, "sixteen feet long, if you can, and as thick as my wrist at the bottom." "All right, sir." He sat down on the bank, and I rushed up and took one of his cold wet hands in both mine, and said, "Please, please, don't go on any more." "He must be dead ever so long ago," I added, repeating what I had heard.
"He hasn't been in the water ten minutes," said the school-master, laughing, "Jack! Jack! you're not half ready for travelling yet.

You must learn not to lose your head and your heart and your wits and your sense of time in this fashion, if you mean to be any good at a pinch to yourself or your neighbours.

Has the rope come ?" "No, sir." "Those poles ?" said the school-master, getting up.
"They're here!" I shouted, as a young forest of poles came towards us, so willing had been the owners of the jack-knives.