"
Back to where they had left the toys trooped the children, and Archie,
who ran ahead, was just in time to see his Stuffed Elephant swaying on
the rope that was choking him.
"Oh, look! Look at my Elephant!" cried Archie. "He's hung on a rope! Oh,
he'll be killed! Oh, dear!"
"Run and grab him down! Pull him down!" shouted Joe.
Archie ran, but by this time the rope was pulled up still farther and
the Elephant was so far above the barn floor that even Herbert, who was
taller than Archie, could not reach the plaything.
"Oh, stop!" cried Archie. "Stop hurting my nice Elephant, Rope!"
Archie's voice was loud and clear. Suddenly the rope which had been
winding up, around the big wheel, came to a stop, and a voice called:
"What's the matter down there? Are any of you children hurt?"
"Oh, that's Jake!" exclaimed Elsie. "It's our man Jake!"
"What's the trouble there, Archie?" Jake asked. He was somewhere in the
loft of the barn.
"It's my Elephant!" Archie answered, trying to keep from crying. "My
nice, Stuffed Christmas Elephant. He's hanging on a rope!"
"On a rope!" exclaimed Jake. "Do you mean this wheel rope that I use to
hoist up bags of oats to the bin here? Is it that rope?"
"I don't know--but it's some rope!" Archie answered.
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