She caught Brenda in her hands and threw the dog out on to the dry ground, and threw herself across the well parapet.

Just in time, for a shout of surprise went up and the bucket went down, clanging against the well sides.

The hands _had_ let go.
Lucy clambered over the well side slowly, and when her feet stood on firm ground she saw that the hands were winding up the bucket again, and that it came very easily.
'Oh, don't!' she said.

'Let it go right down! There are some more people down there.' 'Sorry, but it's against the rules.

The bucket only goes down this well forty times a day.