WHEN THE OLD ICE-HOUSE FELL
Never before in the recollection of any Stanhope boy had winter
settled in so early as it had this year. They seldom counted on having
their first skate on the new ice before Christmas, and yet for two
weeks now some of the most daring had been tempting Providence by
venturing on the surface of the frozen Bushkill.
The ice company had built a new house the preceding summer, though the
old one was still fairly well filled with a part of the previous
season's great crop. Its sides had bulged out in a suspicious manner,
so that many had predicted some sort of catastrophe, but somehow the
old building had weathered every gale, though it leaned to the south
sadly. The company apparently hoped it would hold good until they had
it emptied during the next summer, when they intended to build another
new structure on the spot.
As the five boys started to skate at utmost speed up the river they
heard a medley of sounds. A panic had evidently struck such boys and
girls as were skimming over the smooth ice in protected bayous near
the ice-houses. Instead of hurrying to the assistance of those who may
have been caught in the fallen timbers of the wrecked building they
were for the most part fleeing from the scene, some of them shrieking
with terror.
Several men who had been employed near by could be seen standing and
staring. It looked as though they hardly knew what to do.
If ever there was an occasion where sound common sense and a readiness
to grasp a situation were needed it seemed to be just then. And,
fortunately, Jack Stormways was just the boy to meet the conditions.
He sped up the river like an arrow from the bow, followed by the four
other scouts. The frightened girls who witnessed their passage always
declared that never had they seen Stanhope boys make faster speed,
even in a race where a valuable prize was held out as a lure to the
victor.
As he bore down upon the scene of confusion Jack took it all in. Those
who were floundering amidst the numerous heavy cakes of ice must
engage their attention without delay. He paid little heed to the
fortunate ones who were able to be on their feet, since this fact
alone proved that they could not have been seriously injured.
Several, however, were not so fortunate, and Jack's heart seemed to be
almost in his throat when he saw that two of the skaters lay in the
midst of the scattered cakes of ice as though painfully injured.
"This way, boys!" shouted the boy in the van as they drew near the
scene of the accident. "Bluff, you and Wallace turn and head for that
one yonder. Bobolink, come with me--and Tom Betts."
Five seconds later he was bending over a small girl who lay there
groaning and looking almost as white as the snow upon the hills around
Stanhope.
"It's little Lucy Stackpole!" gasped Tom, as he also arrived. "Chances
are she was hit by one of these big ice cakes when they flew around!"
Jack looked up.
"Yes, I'm afraid she's been badly hurt, fellows. It looks to me like a
compound fracture of her right leg. She ought to be taken home in a
hurry. See if you can round up a sled somewhere, and we'll put her on
it."
"Here's Sandy Griggs and Lub Ketcham with just the sort of big sled we
need!" cried Tom Betts, as he turned and beckoned to a couple of stout
lads who evidently belonged to one of the other patrols, since they
wore the customary campaign hats of the scouts.
These boys had by now managed to recover from their great alarm, and
in response to the summons came hurrying up, anxious to be of service,
as true scouts always are.
Jack, who had been speaking to the terrified girl, trying to soothe
her as best he could, proceeded in a business-like fashion to
accomplish the duty he had in hand.
"Two of you help me lift Lucy on to the sled," he said. "We will have
to fasten her in some way so there'll be no danger of her slipping.
Then Sandy and Lub will drag her to her home. On the way try to get
Doctor Morrison over the 'phone so he can meet you there. The sooner
this fracture is attended to the better."
"You could do it yourself, Jack, if it wasn't so bitter cold out
here," suggested Tom Betts, proudly, for next to Paul Morrison
himself, whose father was the leading physician of Stanhope, Jack was
known to be well up in all matters connected with first aid to the
injured.
They lifted the suffering child tenderly, and placed her on the
comfortable sled. Both the newcomers were only too willing to do all
they could to carry out the mission of mercy that had been entrusted
to their charge.
"We'll get her home in short order, Jack, never fear," said Sandy
Griggs, as he helped fasten an extra piece of rope around the injured
girl, so that she might not slip off the sled.
"Yes, and have the doctor there in a jiffy, too," added Lub, who,
while a clumsy chap, in his way had a very tender heart and was as
good as gold.
"Then get a move on you fellows," advised Jack. "And while speed is
all very good, safety comes first every time, remember."
"Trust us, Jack!" came the ready and confident reply, as the two
scouts immediately began to seek a passage among the far-flung
ice-cakes that had been so suddenly released from their year's
confinement between the walls of the dilapidated ice-house.
Only waiting to see them well off, Jack and the other two once more
turned toward the scene of ruin.
"See, the boys have managed to get the other girl on her feet!"
exclaimed Bobolink, with a relieved air; "so I reckon she must have
been more scared than hurt, for which I'm right glad. What next, Jack?
Say the word and we'll back you to the limit."
"We must take a look around the wreck of the ice-house," replied the
other, "though I hardly believe any one could have been inside at the
time it fell."
"Whew, I should surely hope not!" cried Tom; "for the chances are ten
to one he'd be crushed as flat as a pancake before now, with all that
timber falling on him. I wouldn't give a snap of my fingers for his
life, Jack."
"Let's hope then there's no other victim," said Jack. "If there is
none, it will let the ice company off easier than they really deserve
for allowing so ramshackle a building to stand, overhanging the river
just where we like to do most of our skating every winter."
"Suppose we climb around the timbers and see if we can hear any sound
of groaning," suggested Bobolink, suiting the action to his words.
Several men from the other ice-house reached the spot just then.
Jack turned to them as a measure of saving time. If there were no men
working in the wrecked building at the time it fell there did not seem
any necessity for attempting to move any of the twisted timbers that
lay in such a confused mass.
"Hello! Jan," he called out as the panting laborers arrived. "It was a
big piece of luck that none of you were inside the old ice-house when
it collapsed just now."
The man whom he addressed looked blankly at the boy. Jack could see
that he was laboring under renewed excitement.
"Look here! was there any one in the old building, do you know, Jan?"
he demanded.
"I ban see Maister Garrity go inside yoost afore she smash down," was
the startling reply.
The boys stared at each other. Mr. Thomas Garrity was a very rich and
singular citizen of Stanhope.
Finally Bobolink burst out with:
"Say, you know Mr. Garrity is one of the owners of these ice-houses,
fellows. I guess he must have come up here to-day to see for himself
if the old building was as rickety as people said."
"Huh! then I guess he found out all right," growled Tom Betts.
"Never mind that now," said Jack, hastily. "Mr. Garrity never had much
use for the scouts, but all the same he's a human being. We've got our
duty cut out for us plainly enough."
"Guess you mean we must clear away this trash with the help of these
men here, Jack," suggested Wallace, eagerly.
"Just what I had in mind," confessed Jack. "But before we start in
let's all listen and see if we can hear anything like a groan."
All of them stood in an expectant attitude, straining their hearing to
the utmost.
Presently the listeners plainly caught the sound of a groan.