IN URGENT NEED
When Thomas Hampton laboured so hard in opening up his mine on the
shore of Island Lake, he little thought in what manner it would one day
be used. He had toiled through long weary months, working with pick
and shovel, until he had drifted one hundred feet into the side of the
hill. He had shored up the roof of the mine with poles he had cut and
dragged from the forest, until everything was secure to his entire
satisfaction. He had the coal unearthed and ready to be brought forth,
but little interest was taken in his efforts, and he had no money to
carry on the enterprise.
"We shall come into our own some day," he had told his wife not long
before his death. "The mine will be used, and success and fortune will
be ours."
Mrs. Hampton thought of these words as she and her companions sat
huddled there in the darkness at the farther end of the mine. It had
been hard groping their way thither, for the ground was rough, and they
had no light to guide their steps. But they were thankful for this
refuge, and it was good to sit there and rest.
"Guess the fire can't reach us now," Eben remarked. "Wish to goodness
I had a match, so's we could see what kind of a place this is. But I
left my vest in the car, and the matches were in the pocket."
"What car?" Mrs. Hampton asked.
"Lord Fiddlesticks'."
"You mean Lord Donaster?"
"I guess that's his name, but dad calls him 'Fiddlesticks'."
"And you were with him? Where was he going?"
"Why, he was comin' here, of course. Where'd ye think he was goin'?"
"What was he coming here for?" Jess sharply asked.
"To see you, I guess."
"How did he know where I was?"
"H'm, he found out all right. Ye can't hide from him fer long. He
thinks a lot of you, he sure does."
"Where is he now, then?"
"Oh, he skedaddled when he saw the fire. He was 'most scared t' death."
"So he left you alone to save us?" Jess asked. "There was a note of
tenderness in her voice.
"Oh, I didn't mind. He'd only been in the way. He's no good."
"And you came right through the fire to help us! We would have been
burned alive but for you."
"I'm glad I was in time. Oh!" Eben tried to smother the groan, but in
vain. The intense excitement on the lake while seeing from the flames
had kept his mind from his burns, but now in the darkness and stillness
of the mine it was different. His sufferings increased, and he felt
like screaming with the pain. He could sit still no longer.
"You stay here," he ordered, "while I go an' see how things look
outside."
"Be careful of yourself, and keep out of the fire," Mrs. Hampton warned.
"Oh, I'll be keerful," Eben faintly replied, as he groped his way along
the dark passage. "I won't run no risk."
Left alone, the women talked about the fire, and the bravery of their
young rescuer.
"Eben is certainly a hero," Mrs. Hampton remarked. "How can we ever
repay him for what he has done for us to-day?"
"He must have done it for your sake?" Jess replied. "I am sure he
didn't do it for me."
"Why not?" Mrs. Hampton asked in surprise.
"He doesn't like me. I feel certain that it was Eben who threw the
stone which hit me that night at the quarry. And then when he came
home yesterday and met John and me on the shore he was very angry. He
picked up a stick and threw it with all his might. It hit John, but I
really believe it was meant for me."
"This is all news to me, dear," Mrs. Hampton replied as she pressed the
girl's hand in hers. "What reason has Eben for disliking you?"
"I don't know. But he has acted very strangely ever since those two
men were injured at the quarry. He was so pleasant and agreeable
before that."
"John met you there that night, did he not?" Mrs. Hampton asked.
"Oh, yes. We were together all the next day, and had such a happy
time."
"But what of Eben?"
"I didn't see him at all, and when we went down to the boat in the
evening he wasn't there. I asked for him, and one of the workmen said
he had run away when he saw us coming. The rest of the men thought it
was a big joke and had a great laugh."
Owing to the darkness Jess could not see the smile that flitted across
her mother's face. Mrs. Hampton was somewhat amused at the girl's
simplicity, although to her the reason for Eben's strange behaviour was
quite apparent.
"Eben doesn't dislike you, dear," she told her. "He loves you instead,
and loves you so much that he is jealous of John because he thinks he
has taken you from him."
"Eben loves me!" Jess exclaimed in surprise. "Why, I never thought of
such a thing."
"I know you didn't. But I believe it is true, nevertheless. And I
don't blame the boy, for how could anyone help loving you?"
Before Jess could reply a peculiar muffled sound drifted into the mine.
It startled them, for it was like a cry of someone in distress.
"It must be Eben," Mrs. Hampton declared, as she rose quickly to her
feet. "Let us go and find, out what is the matter."
It did not take them long to grope their way to the entrance, for as
they advanced they were guided by the light from the opening. Smoke
was hovering about the mouth of the mine, and the air felt somewhat
cool.
"It is raining!" Jess exclaimed. "The fire is all out." Then she gave
a cry of fright as Eben's body, huddled upon the ground, met her eyes.
Mrs. Hampton had seen it, too, and was first by the boy's side.
"Is he dead?" Jess asked in an awed voice.
"No, he is alive," Mrs. Hampton replied as she felt his pulse. "But
look at his face! Isn't it terribly burned!"
"And his hands, arms, and body!" Jess replied. "Oh, the poor boy!" She
dropped upon her knees by his side, and took one of the swollen hands
in hers. "He must have been burned when he leaped through the fire at
the landing," she continued. "And he must have been suffering all the
time while he was rowing us here, and we were too much excited to
notice it. Now I understand the meaning of that groan in the mine.
Oh, what are we to do?"
"I am afraid we can do nothing," Mrs. Hampton replied. "The fire has
destroyed the boat, so we cannot cross the lake. The only thing to do
is to leave you here with Eben while I go for assistance."
"Perhaps John will soon be here," Jess suggested. "He must be very
anxious about us."
"But he won't know where to find us."
"He will come to the island, anyway, and will search everywhere for us.
Perhaps we shall be able to see him and call to him. Suppose we wait
for a while. You cannot walk to the river."
"I can do more than you imagine," was the quiet reply. "But it is just
as well to wait awhile. In the meantime we must get this poor boy
under shelter. Let us carry him into the mine."
As carefully and tenderly as possible the two lifted the unconscious
lad and bore him into the opening of the mine, where they laid him down
upon the ground. With his head on her lap, Jess wiped away the
moisture from the red swollen face. Tears streamed down her cheeks as
she watched him, and noted how his hair had been burnt away, and his
features distorted with pain.
"You poor boy!" she murmured. "You did it all for us, and we can do
nothing for you now."
"We must do something," Mrs. Hampton declared. "I cannot wait here and
let the boy die without making an effort to save his life. I can go to
the other side of the lake, anyway, and be at the landing when anyone
comes. John will surely be there soon. I hope nothing has happened to
him."
At these words an expression of fear appeared in the girl's eyes as she
turned them upon her mother's face.
"Perhaps he tried to reach us and was caught by the fire!" Her heart
beat fast, and her face became very white.
"You need not worry, dear," Mrs. Hampton comforted. "John has common
sense, and would not run any useless risk."
"But he would run any risk for us, I am certain," Jess declared. "He
would not think of himself when he knew that we were in danger. He
would go through anything for us."
"I know that, dear," and Mrs. Hampton looked lovingly into the girl's
sparkling eyes. "But perhaps he did not know of the fire in time.
Most likely he was very busy about the place, and had little idea that
we were in danger. I shall go now, for there is no time to lose. You
watch by the poor boy. I don't like to leave you alone, but there is
nothing else to do. I could not think of sending you, for you would be
sure to lose your way."
Hardly had Mrs. Hampton ceased speaking ere Jess pointed excitedly
across to the island.
"Look, look!" she cried. "Somebody is over there. He's standing on
the shore, though he doesn't see us. I believe it's John!"
Laying Eben's head gently upon the ground, she sprang to her feet,
hurried down to the edge of the lake, and called across the water. As
she did so, the man on the island started, hurried forward, and looked
over to where the girl was standing.
"Are you both safe?" he shouted.
"Yes," Jess called back. "But we want help."
"All right, I'll be there in a minute."
The next instant he was into the lake, and headed straight for the
island. Jess watched him with the keenest interest, her eyes aglow
with admiration.
"Isn't he a great swimmer!" she exclaimed, as she turned to Mrs.
Hampton, who was now standing by her side. "I know he would come,
didn't you?"
"Yes, if he possibly could," was the reply. "I am so thankful he is
here, for he will be able to help us get that poor boy home."
It took John but a few minutes to swim across that narrow portion of
the lake, and when his feet at length touched bottom he waded ashore,
the water running in streams from his body. But the women thought
nothing of his personal appearance, so delighted were they to have him
with them.
"Mother! Jess!" he panted. "How did you get here?"
In reply, Mrs. Hampton pointed to the partly-burned boat, and then
turned toward the mine.
"Come," she simply said, "I want to show you something."
She led the way, with Jess and John following. The latter could not
keep his eyes off the girl's face. He could hardly believe it possible
that she was alive, and looking as beautiful as ever, although somewhat
pale. He was like a man who had awakened from a horrible dream, and
found that it was not true.
Mrs. Hampton stopped at the entrance of the mine and silently motioned
to the prostrate boy.
"Why, it's Eben Tobin!" John almost shouted the words, so great was
his surprise. "How in the world did he get here?"
"He came in the boat, and saved us just in the nick of time," Mrs.
Hampton explained. "But for him we would not be here now."
"But what is wrong with him?"
"He is so terribly burned that he is unconscious. He leaped right
through the fire at the landing, pushed off the boat, and came to our
rescue. We were so excited that we did not know he was so badly burned
until a short time ago. He never said a word to us about it. But we
must get him home at once. How can we do it?"
John dropped upon his knees by Eben's side and examined his burns. He
could tell at once how serious they were, and that something must be
done immediately. And as he knelt there, the boy moaned and his body
trembled. Then his eyes opened, his lips moved, and he muttered words
which the anxious watchers could not understand.
"We must get him home before he recovers consciousness," John declared,
springing to his feet. "He does not realise his sufferings in his
present condition. But should he come to out here it will be fearful,
for we can do nothing to relieve his pain."
He turned and looked toward the remains of the boat, and then off into
the forest.
"You stay here out of the rain," he told the women. "I want to see
what can be done. I must build a raft of some kind to take us across
to the landing, as it is impossible to carry Eben around the lake."
"Oh, let me help you," Jess pleaded. "Make some use of me."
"But you will get soaked, and your clothes and hands dirty," John
replied.
"That won't matter. I don't mind the rain, and I can wash my hands and
clothes."
"Very well, then," John assented, much pleased at the true spirit of
the one he loved, and also anxious to have her with him.
In a few minutes they were down by the lake examining the boat, to find
out how much it had been damaged.
"It is not so badly burned as I thought," John remarked. "The bottom
is all right, and the sides are only partly injured. If we can get
several good-sized poles to place underneath, it should carry us all
right. I guess we can find them over there," and he motioned to his
left. "If I only had an axe it wouldn't take me long to make a raft
that would hold a horse."
Together they made their way into the forest a short distance from the
mine. The fire had left desolation on all sides in its onward sweep.
Everything was black, and the tall trees stood gaunt and bare. The
underbrush had been burnt, so without much difficulty John was enabled
to find a number of sticks lying upon the ground, which he knew would
serve his purpose. It did not take the two long to carry them back to
the landing, and in a remarkably short time they were placed under the
boat and securely fastened with willow withes, which served instead of
a rope. When the work was finished, John stepped on the raft, pushed
it from the shore, and tested it thoroughly.
"It is perfectly safe," he announced, "and will carry us all."
In a few minutes they were on board and out upon the lake, with Eben
lying upon the bottom of the boat. John had found a long slim stick,
and with this he poled. But when the water became too deep he paddled
with one of the oars which had escaped the fire.
Little was said at first as they moved slowly forward toward the lower
end of the island. Jess sat by Eben, with his head resting upon her
lap, while Mrs. Hampton was seated near by. John was facing her, and
at times their eyes met. Words were unnecessary to express their
thoughts, for love has a silent language all its own, which lovers
alone understand.
As they came near the lower end of the island, Jess pointed out the
exact spot where she and Mrs. Hampton had taken refuge.
"It was on that big rock," she explained to John. "The fire was almost
upon us when Eben arrived. We thought it was you at first, for we were
expecting you, and wondering why you were so long in coming."
John made no immediate reply, but paddled steadily forward. He had
said nothing about his experience on the plains, and he disliked to
tell of it now. He was not sure how Jess might receive the news of her
father's narrow escape and sad condition. He also knew that he would
have to answer many questions, and would be forced to tell of his own
part in the rescue, a thing which was adverse to his nature. But he
would have to do so sooner or later, so it might as well be now as any
time, he thought. Then, as briefly as possible, he explained the cause
of his delay, and how he had hurried to the island as soon as the men
had arrived from the river.
While John was speaking, Jess watched him intently, her heart beating
rapidly, and her face very pale.
"What was daddy doing there?" she asked when he had finished.
"He was looking for you, so I gathered from what he said. He became
lost, and sprained or broke his ankle as he wandered around. Then the
fire came, and he was stumbling across the plains when I happened to
see him."
John said nothing about the manner in which Randall had treated him,
and made light of his wild ravings after the fire had subsided.
Perhaps his distraction was only temporary, he reasoned, so it was just
as well not to give the girl any unnecessary worry.
Jess sat for a while lost in thought, and John was relieved that she
did not ask any more questions.
"Poor daddy!" she sighed. "I am sorry for him, but I hope this
experience of his will teach him a lesson. He has been needing it for
some time."
"Are you not afraid to go back to the river?" John asked. "Perhaps
your father will be more angry than ever, and blame you for his
trouble."
"I am not afraid now," was the low reply. "All that daddy can do or
say will make little difference to me after what I have undergone
to-day. I am going to him as soon as I can, and have this whole matter
settled. I am sure he will not want me to marry Donaster now after the
cowardly way he ran away and left us to our fate. But even if he does,
it won't matter to me. Perhaps I was foolish to run away as I did. It
might have been better if I had stayed at home, and asserted my rights.
No one, not even my parents could have forced me to marry such a thing
as that against my will. There will be no running away after this, I
can tell you that. The matter will be settled once and for all as soon
as I see daddy."
The decided tone of the girl's voice, and the look of determination in
her eyes pleased the young man who was watching her. He liked what she
said about Donaster, knowing that her censure was just. He knew what
he would do with the coward should he ever catch him prowling around.
He just longed for some pretext to get his hands upon the fellow.
As they drew near the landing, they saw a car come down to the shore
and stop. Several men stepped out, who waved encouragingly to the
voyagers. John recognised them at once as the ones who had come to his
aid on the plains. He was very glad to see them, and thankful when at
last the raft grounded upon the shore. Without any questions the men
lifted Eben from the boat, and laid him gently in the auto.
"The women and you, John, can come with me," the driver announced.
"There's another car outside for the rest of the men. We had a hard
time getting through, so thought it best not to risk two cars."
In another minute they were on their way. Jess rode in the front seat,
while Mrs. Hampton and John sat behind, and supported the still
unconscious lad.