He had lost track of us in the woods for a time, but had finally heard the basswood fall and then had found us.
Even at that distance across the gully I saw Willis's face break into a grin when he saw me perched in the hemlock.

For the present, however, I was too much worried to be proud and implored his aid.

He looked round a while, exchanged a few words with old Hughy and then hailed me.
"I guess we shall have to fell that hemlock to get you down," he shouted, laughing.
Naturally, I did not want that done.
"I shall have to go home for a long rope," he went on, becoming serious.
"If we can get the end of a rope up there, you can tie it to a limb and then come down hand over hand.

But I don't think our folks have a rope long enough; I may have to go round to the old Squire's for one." Since old Hughy had no better plan to suggest, Willis set off on the run.

As the distance was fully two miles, I had a long wait before me, and so I made myself as comfortable as I could on the limb and settled down to wait.
Old Hughy hobbled down into the gully with his kettle and tried to smother the bees by putting the brimstone close to the cleft in the tree trunk and setting it afire; but, although the fumes rose so pungently that I was obliged to hold my nose to keep from being smothered, the effect on the bees was not noticeable.