Johnny ran to the barn, and soon came back with two pails of
water and a funnel.
"But what's the funnel for?" asked the schoolmaster as he drew the
ladder from the cistern and leaned it against the eaves.
"To pour the water into the pipe," answered Johnny, in a tone that
showed that he thought he had, for once, caught the school-master
napping.
"Ah, indeed! so you always put the funnel in when it rains?"
Johnny blushed, and did not attempt any answer.
"Now mount the ladder, and I'll hand you the water," said the
school-master.
Johnny ran up the ladder, and, when the school-master handed him the
pails, he said nothing about the funnel, but boldly dashed the water
upon the roof. When the flood began pouring into the cave-trough and
gurgling down the pipe, Johnny fixed his eyes upon the hole through
which his ball had taken its unlucky leap, and stared with anxious
expectation. The gurgle in the pipe crept steadily upward, the tone all
the while growing higher and clearer, till whish! came a dash of water
over the trough, nearly drenching the schoolmaster while the ball
bounded airily upon the eaves for an instant, before Johnny caught it
and cried out:
"Here she is!"
"Put things in shape, Johnny; I must hurry to the school-house," said
the school-master, going.
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