THE NEWS ADOLPHUS BROUGHT
When Frank reappeared on the surface he was a third of the way out to
where his chum was struggling so desperately in the water.
With powerful strokes he swam swiftly onward. Bluff saw him coming, and
stretched out his hands appealingly, as though he realized now the peril
he was in.
"Help me--Frank--cramp got me!" he gurgled.
Then he went under again, despite his struggles. Frank pushed on, his
eyes on the lookout for the upcoming of the drowning lad. He seemed to
know that Bluff had not yet lost every atom of his vitality, and was
capable of another tussle at least.
When Bluff came fighting to the surface Frank was there. He avoided the
frenzied clutch of the other, knowing how fatal such a thing would be.
The only hope of saving Bluff was to catch him from behind. Then, if
there was danger of his trying to wrap his arms about his would-be
rescuer, even more desperate tactics must be employed to stop such a
move, and in some cases it seems necessary to strike the drowning person
over the head to make him desist.
Of course, Bluff did not know what he was doing now. He had reached that
point where he would clutch frantically at a straw, in the hope that it
would bear him up. To him, Frank was only as much as a plank would have
been.
Watching his opportunity, ere the boy could sink again Frank managed to
get a firm grip on the back of his neck. The fact that Bluff wore his
hair rather long aided him in this maneuver, he afterward confessed.
Then he worked hard to swim toward the shore, towing Bluff along. It was
a difficult task to keep the face of the other above the surface and at
the same time fight off his hands when he sought to clutch the swimmer's
arms. Such a catastrophe would have possibly been the means of a double
tragedy.
Meanwhile, the rest of the party had waded in, holding to each other's
hands. Even Jed was at the end of the chain, on the side nearest the
shore, but just as eager to lend a hand toward the rescue of the
drowning lad as any of the others. Bluff had been kind to the bound
boy, and the heart of the waif was full of gratitude toward these
friends who had been suddenly raised up for him.
Foot by foot Frank worked his way in, while Jerry held out an eager hand
to assist when he came within reach.
Frank remained perfectly cool through it all. It was marvelous how this
boy seemed to know just what should be done in any emergency, and how to
do it. Bluff did not struggle to get at him so much now. This was not
because he knew better; the truth was, he had become partially
unconscious.
Still Frank did not lose hope, for he knew matters had not gone so far
but what the other could be readily resuscitated by the ordinary means.
Now he reached the outstretched hand of Jerry, who had insisted upon
being at the outer end of the chain, he having an inch or so more
stature than Will. Then they all got safely to shore, and Frank laid
Bluff down on the ground.
"Turn him over, the first thing, with his head down the bank. Draw his
arms back and forth with a regular motion, as if he were breathing; and
don't be frightened, any of you. He will be all right in a jiffy. I've
seen men brought back when they had sunk for the last time, and the
rescuer had to dive twice before he got his man. There! You see!" For
Bluff had actually sighed.
In five minutes he was looking up at them and trying to smile, although
it was a mighty pitiful attempt. In twice that time they had him by the
fire, and two were rubbing him vigorously with coarse towels, under
Frank's directions.
"I'm all right, fellows," said Bluff, with a look of gratitude in his
eyes, as he squeezed Frank's hand.
"Only for Frank, here, just think where you'd be right now," said Will
in an awed tone, looking out on the water and shuddering.
"Here, none of that now! Won't allow it! Get up a brisk circulation, and
then he must dress. The balance of you fellows had better be thinking of
drying yourselves somewhat. I can see you are pretty wet," laughed
Frank.
"And for once, Will didn't think of getting his camera!" said Bluff
whimsically.
"Talk to me about that, will you! It would have been just like him to
have sung out to Frank to please wait there a minute while he ran up on
the bank and got a focus on the two," sang out Jerry.
Will gave him a reproachful look.
"I'll admit that I'm keen on getting a picture nearly every time, but
really I hope I'm not quite so much of a heathen as all that," he said.
"What's the racket I hear?" asked Bluff just then.
"That is old Adolphus coming along the road, and whooping at his horses
to beat the band!" exclaimed Jerry exultantly.
He thought a great deal of Bluff, and his heart swelled with gratitude
over the recent rescue of the imperilled swimmer. Nor was Jerry in the
least jealous because it had fallen to Frank to save their mutual chum.
Jerry could be generous, and even broad, in his way of looking at
things.
Closer came the shouts. Then around the bend appeared a strange moving
spectacle, with the three canoes piled up, and secured on the wagon that
was pulled by the two stout horses.
The boys broke out into loud cheers. It seemed almost like a miracle to
see the beloved mosquito craft away up here in the Sunset Mountains.
No sooner had the wagon arrived than they were as busy as beavers. The
canoes that had only a few hours back been calmly reposing on the waters
of Camalot Lake were quickly wedded to those of Lake Surprise.
"Say, don't they look fine, though? Did you ever see a prettier picture
than our camp, right now, with the forest for a background, the lake in
front, and those dandy little craft bobbing up and down like corks? Me
for a paddle!"
So saying, Jerry leaped into one of the single canoes and went swiftly
up the lake, followed by Will in the other. Bluff looked after them
wishfully.
"Not to-night, I guess. You must be feeling a little weak after all your
labor out there, old chap," said Frank, smiling.
Bluff caught his hand again and squeezed it. Though he said not a word
just then, it was evident that his heart was full.
"And another thing bothers me," he remarked presently, as humor followed
close on the heels of tragedy. "I won't be in decent condition to match
Jerry to-night, and he's already one inning ahead on lung capacity."
"Well, for this night, then, we'll declare the match off. Some of the
rest of us will take a turn at blowing up those rubber mattresses. Save
yourself for to-morrow," said Frank, glad to know that Bluff could put
his recent experience out of his mind, for he had heard of cases where
it had proved a haunting fear for a long time, men even waking out of a
sound sleep with loud cries, as they imagined they were once more going
through all the horrors of drowning.
Will soon came back with the canoe, while Jerry kept on further,
desirous of exploring the shores of the lake while about it.
"I saw a likely-looking rocky glen a short distance above where we came
in, and as the sun is just right for a good picture of it, I think I'll
meander over that way and have a look in," he remarked.
Saying which, he picked up his camera and sauntered off. Everybody being
busily engaged, they paid little attention to him. Adolphus was putting
out his horses near where good old Peter was cropping the grass, being
held by a long rope to keep him from straying away.
"Dis 'pears tuh be a mighty fine place up hyar, sah," the old darky was
saying to Frank, who worked near him, doing something connected with the
coming supper.
"We think so, Adolphus, and expect to enjoy our stay immensely. Glad you
can keep us company. You say that they're all well at home? Seems as
though we had been away for a couple of weeks, instead of a few days,"
Frank went on.
"Everybody well, I done reckons, Mars Frank, sah. Libely times along dis
yer Oak Ridge, dey sez, wat wid dat ghostses, an' now de sheriff he am
on de track ob a man he wants tuh git mighty bad, him an' his possum."
Frank knew that what old Adolphus meant to say was "posse," and at
another time he might have laughed at the comical blunder, for evidently
"all possums looked alike" to Adolphus. Just then, however, Frank was
startled by what he had heard.
"Hunting for a man, did you say, Adolphus," he asked quickly.
"Yes, sah. An' it are a bad man that 'scaped from de jail sum time ergo.
Dey done kotched one, but dis critter he erludes 'em like er fox. But
dey got er clue, dey sez, an' dey turned out 'bout two mile back,
leabin' me de hull road," the colored man chattered on, never dreaming
that Frank was deeply interested in what he was saying.
Frank's thoughts flew like lightning. Then, after all, what he and Jerry
had suspected bade fair to prove true--the escaped convict was hiding in
Sunset Mountains, and Andy had come up to join him, for some strange
purpose or other.
It began to look as though the chains might be tightening around
Thaddeus Lasher, and that before long he would find himself once more in
the clutches of the law.
"There's Will shouting again, I declare! Wonder what is up now? He can't
be trusted to go off by himself alone any more. You don't think he's in
another quicksand, do you, Frank?" exclaimed Bluff just then.
"No. This time he doesn't call for help, but wants us to come up there
and see something strange. Will you come along, Bluff? I wonder what he
has found?"