THE BOILING SPRING
Mr. Addison was a full-grown man, but he was quite old, and not very
heavy. In fact he was so light that the three sturdy boy chums easily
carried him out from under the bushes to a cleared place along the path.
The hermit only moaned as he was moved, and remained unconscious.
"Let us take off our coats, fellows," suggested Sammy. "We'll spread
them out on the snow, and make a bed for him."
The day was quite warm, so the boys would not be likely to take cold
from removing their coats, and soon they had made a more comfortable
place for the aged man than the bare ground on which he had fallen.
"I wonder what could have happened to him?" said Bob.
"He must have fallen, and hurt himself," spoke Frank. "But neither his
arms or legs are broken, as far as I can tell."
"I guess it's his head," remarked Sammy. "Probably that's what makes him
senseless. I wish Mr. Jessup would hurry back."
"And to think that a little while ago he pushed us into a snowbank!"
murmured Bob. "He couldn't do it now."
"No," said Sammy, softly. "Poor old man! I guess he's had lots of
trouble."
Indeed, as the aged hermit lay there on the boys' coats, which they had
partly folded over him, his face showed many wrinkles of care and
suffering, as well as of age. Truly, he did not seem to have had a very
happy life, and in their hearts the boys easily forgave him for what he
had done to them.
"Here I am!" exclaimed Mr. Jessup, as, followed by his dog, he came up
the path. Over his shoulder he carried a folding stretcher, consisting
of two poles with a broad canvass piece in between. On this the hermit
could be placed, and, by means of the handles, he could be easily
carried.
"I'll give him a little spirits of ammonia first," said the hunter.
"That is good when a person has fainted. Then we can decide what next to
do. It may be that we'll need a doctor."
He mixed some of the ammonia in a glass, with a little water, and
managed to get some between the lips of the old hermit. But it did
little good. The aged man only moaned feebly and did not open his eyes.
"I guess we'd better carry him to his cabin," said Mr. Jessup, after a
few minutes. "It's farther than it is to Camp Mystery, but if he wakes
up, and sees himself in a strange place, it may have a bad effect on
him. We can easily carry him to his own cabin."
This they did, the hunter taking one end of the stretcher, and two boys
taking turns at the other end. In this way they were soon at the place
where the hermit lived.
The cabin was rough enough on the outside, but the interior was clean,
and nicely arranged. The poor old man lived very simply. He was placed
on his bunk, and then Mr. Jessup, who knew a little about medicine,
tried to bring him to his senses.
It seemed to be of no use, however, and finally the hunter said:
"Boys, I think I'd better skate over to the mainland, and bring back a
doctor. I wouldn't like poor Mr. Addison to die. You're not afraid to
stay here with him; are you? I'll leave Maybe with you."
"Afraid? Of course not!" cried Sammy. It was broad daylight. Why should
they be afraid?
True, the mysterious old mansion was not far away, and the strange
things in the secret room had not been explained. But the boys made up
their minds they would not be alarmed.
"I'll come back as soon as I can," said Mr. Jessup. "If he wakes up you
might give him a drink of water. Or you could make coffee. You know how,
and I see he has the things here. Yes, a good strong cup of coffee might
help him. Now don't worry. Maybe, you're to stay with the boys."
The dog whined, and evidently wanted to go with his master, but he
obeyed well, and, with a bark of protest, he lay down on the cabin
floor.
Mr. Jessup, who had his skates with him, started for the lake, intending
to skate to the mainland after a physician. He could come back with the
doctor in a cutter, for the ice was thick enough to bear the weight of a
horse.
Left to themselves, the boys sat in the cabin with the old, unconscious
man. He breathed heavily but did not open his eyes. Once in a while he
groaned.
"I wonder if we hadn't better make the coffee," suggested Bob, after a
bit. "If he could take some of that he might feel much better."
"Good idea," said Sammy. "Let's start a fire. It's cold in here,
anyhow."
There was a stove and an open fireplace, the latter in the other room of
the cabin. Some logs were set aglow on the hearth, and a roaring blaze
kindled in the stove. The kettle was put on, and soon a fragrant pot of
coffee was ready.
[Illustration: The kettle was put on.]
The boys were talking over whether they had better not try to get some
of the hot beverage between the set lips of the aged man, when there
came a sudden knock on the cabin door.
"Who's that?" whispered Frank, startled.
"It can't be Mr. Jessup, back already," remarked Bob.
"No, he'd walk right in," said Sammy.
The knock was repeated.
"See who it is," spoke Bob.
"I'll go," said Sammy, and he went to the door.
He saw a young man standing there--a young man he had never seen before,
as far as he knew. The stranger's face was a pleasant one, and he smiled
at the boy.
"Well," said the visitor, "I don't know you, and it's rather odd to see
Mr. Addison having company. Is he in?"
"Yes," said Sammy, "but he's hurt." He noticed that the caller had a
pair of skates in his hand, showing how he had reached the island.
"Hurt!" exclaimed the young man. "And just when I come to bring him good
news! Let me see him, please."
He quickly entered the cabin, and bent over the form of the hermit on
the bunk. The boys looked on in wonder. Who could this stranger be?
The young man seemed to know something about the duties of a doctor, for
he rapidly felt about the aged man, for signs of broken bones, and then,
finding none, passed his hand over the sufferer's head.
"Ah, there's the trouble," he said. "He's had a bad knock there, but it
doesn't seem to be serious. I think he'll soon come around. You have
coffee?" and he sniffed the air.
"Good and hot!" answered Sammy.
"Let me have some," suggested the young man, and some was given him in a
cup. Holding the aged man up in one arm, the young man managed to get
some of the hot coffee down his throat. It did good at once, for Mr.
Addison opened his eyes, looked strangely about him, gazed in seeming
wonder at the boys, and then looked at the young man who was supporting
him.
"It's all right, Uncle Frank," said the stranger. "You're all right. You
had a little fall, and these boys must have brought you here. But you're
not hurt to speak of, and I bring you good news."
"Good--good news," faltered the old man. "You bring me good news, Ed?"
"Yes, the very best. The land is now yours. I have here all the papers.
You don't need to live here any longer to claim it. You can come home
with me. I have the deeds to the land."
"And the spring--the boiling spring--is the medical spring mine?" gasped
Mr. Addison. He seemed to be getting better very quickly.
"The boiling spring is yours," the young man assured him. "Now take it
easy--everything is all right."
"Oh, I am so glad--so glad!" murmured the old man, sinking back on the
bunk. "Now I won't have to worry about anyone taking my secret away from
me. Oh, everything is all right now," and he sighed in contentment.
"Take a little more coffee," urged the young man whom the hermit had
called Ed. "It will do you good."
It really seemed to, for soon the aged man was able to sit up again.
He looked at the boys strangely, and they did not know what to do or
say. They wondered if the hermit would try to drive them away.
"Are--are you the boys I pushed over the cliff?" he asked.
"Yes," replied Sammy, and he wondered how the old man could explain his
queer action.
"Well, I--I'm sorry I did it," went on the hermit. "You see I was a bit
excited. I thought you were following me, trying to steal my secret. But
you can't get it now. I own the land. You have the papers--the deed,
Ed?" he asked eagerly.
"Yes, Uncle Frank, here they are," and the stranger gave a bundle of
documents to the old man, who eagerly looked them over.
"Yes--yes," he said. "It's all right. I have a clear title to the
boiling spring. And now I'll explain. But in the first place, how did I
get here? I seem to remember falling down----"
He paused for an answer.
"You did fall," said Sammy. "Mr. Jessup and we boys found you under the
bushes, and we carried you here. He has gone for the doctor."
"Hum, yes. That's very good of him--and you, especially after the way I
treated you. But I hardly knew what I was doing. But I don't believe I
need a doctor. I'm all right."
He really seemed so, and was able now to walk slowly about the cabin.
"I remember what happened," he went on. "I was going down to the shore
to see if you were coming, Ed, for you had promised to be here to-day,
when I slipped and fell. I must have struck my head on a stone, for it
all got dark, and I didn't remember anything else until I saw you giving
me coffee. All the rest is a blank."
"Well, you're all right now, Uncle Frank," was the answer. "I suppose
I'd better tell you who I am," the newcomer went on to the boys. "My
name is Edward Houghton, and Mr. Addison is my uncle. I have been doing
some legal business for him for some time, and now it is all finished."
"And the medical boiling spring is my property!" cried the hermit.
"Yes, it is your property," said his nephew.
"And you and I will get rich!" the old man cried, enthusiastically.
"I hope so," spoke Mr. Houghton. "You certainly have suffered very much
to get your rights. But it is all over now."
The boys were quite puzzled by this talk, but it was soon to be
explained. There was the jingle of sleigh bells from the direction of
the lake, and soon was heard the approach of footsteps.
"It's Mr. Jessup!" cried Sammy. And so it proved. He had brought the
doctor back with him in a cutter.
"I'm much obliged to you, Mr. Jessup," said the old hermit, "but I don't
believe I need the doctor's services."
"However, as long as he's here, better let him look you over," suggested
Mr. Houghton.
The medical man said, beyond a hard blow on the head, which had made him
unconscious for a time, Mr. Addison was not hurt.
"I'd stand another blow on the head for the sake of my fine spring,"
said the hermit, and he laughed.
He really seemed quite a different man now. His face was kinder, and the
boys were no longer afraid of him.
"I guess you'll have to explain," suggested Mr. Jessup. "What is it all
about, and what do you mean by your boiling spring, Mr. Addison?"
"Come with me, and I'll show you," said the hermit.
With slow steps he led the way to a little glade, not far from his
cabin. There the boys saw a strange sight. In spite of the fact that it
was Winter, and that snow was on the ground, there was a spot of green
grass and ferns to be seen, surrounding a boiling and bubbling spring of
clear water. And from the water a little cloud of steam arose.
"There she is!" cried Mr. Addison. "There's my boiling spring, and the
waters of it are the best thing in the world for rheumatism. I know,
for I've cured myself, and cured others. I discovered the spring by
accident, and I worked hard to get title to the land it's on. Now I have
it, and I'm going to bottle those waters and sell 'em. I'm going to be
rich! I'm not going to be a hermit any longer," and he seemed ten years
younger.