JACK SPEAKS FOR LITTLE CARL
That was a bright idea on the part of Joel, cowering there at the
window, and dodging the dense volume of smoke that poured forth as
through a funnel. For Jack heard the call, and it gave him a clue as
to where the window lay. So presently he arrived there, greatly to
Joel's delight.
"Oh! you've got the poor little chap then, have you, Jack? Is he dead
or alive?" was what he burst out with, as he became aware of his
friend's presence.
"I don't know," Jack replied; "but we must get him down as quick as we
can, Joel, so a doctor can work over him. He may not be too far gone
yet from the smoke. The fire never touched him. Do you think we could
manage it between us, by taking all manner of care?"
"Sure thing, Jack. Here, let me hold him some while you climb out.
Hang that awful smoke, it makes the tears blind you!"
A shout arose from the anxious crowd below. Jack did not dare waste
even seconds in glancing down, but he could imagine the old man
stretching his hands up mutely as though imploring the rescuers to
hasten, so as to relieve the tension of his breaking heart.
Cautiously they began to make their way along over the top of the
trellis. Jack only feared lest some strip of rotten wood might give
way under their combined weight, and allow them to plunge downward. A
solid phalanx of the sturdy football players had formed directly
beneath, and they seemed determined that if anything of this sort took
place they would serve as a buffer, so that those who fell through
might not be seriously injured.
But no accident befell them, and soon they were being assisted down
the arbor by willing hands. The old man fought his way into the midst,
nor did anyone have the heart to deny him this privilege,
understanding how frantic he must be to learn the worst.
A gentleman pushed forward.
"Here's Doc. Halleck!" cried Phil Parker, just then recognizing one of
the town physicians, who with the rest had hurried to the spot,
possibly being at the time on his night round of visits to patients,
and thinking that perhaps the services of a doctor might be needed at
the fire.
He took the bundled form of the cripple from Jack. Old Mr. Adkins hung
over the boy as though everything he had in the wide world could go up
in flames if only he might be told that the child was all right. In
that minute of time people who had looked down on the old miser with
scorn began to realize that he was capable of human affection, and
that he actually had a heart.
Carrying the lad to some little distance from the house, to be out of
the way of the firemen when they arrived and set to work with their
apparatus, Doctor Halleck laid his burden on the ground. Then he
called for some water, and the old man told one of the boys how to get
a supply from the well close by.
When this was fetched, the physician, who had already been holding a
small phial containing ammonia, Jack suspected, to the cripple's nose,
set to work to bathe his patient's face with the cool liquid.
"Oh! tell me the worst, Doctor, please!" begged old Mr. Adkins,
wringing his hands as, by the light of the fire, he looked at the
white face of little Carl, seemingly so corpse-like. "Is he dead, my
poor, poor boy?"
"Nonsense, Mr. Adkins, he will be all right inside of five minutes,"
said the doctor, brusquely, for like many other people he had never
liked the old miser. "He has inhaled considerable of the smoke, and
must have fainted away up there in his room, after calling out for
help without being heard. I give you my word, sir, there is nothing
serious the matter with him; though had he remained in that terrible
atmosphere a short time longer all efforts to resuscitate him would be
in vain. You owe a lot to the boy who brought him out in time, let me
tell you, sir."
At that the old man turned upon Jack Winter, and clutched his hand
almost fiercely. He was about to pour out a torrent of words telling
how grateful he felt, when to the great relief of the boy a shout
arose that drowned everything else out.
"Here comes the engine at last! Now watch the boys get busy!"
A roar went up as the red-shirted firemen with their helmets and their
waterproof garments came rushing into the grounds. A babel of
confusion followed, as they demanded to know where they could get
connection with the nearest fire hydrant on the street, or if none
were handy where could the cistern be found!
Jack broke away and went with the rest of the boys to lend a hand if
anything could be done to assist the fire-fighters. It was learned
that a hydrant stood handy not a hundred feet distant, and to this a
hose was attached without delay. Meanwhile the engine was run
alongside a cistern, and set to work, the loud pumping soon telling
that operations had been started.
When the first stream of water was seen pouring into an open window a
cheer arose from the crowd. Of course few expected that there would be
much left of the building but the bare walls, for the fire had by this
time gotten a good start, and was being whipped by the night wind; but
then they did not bother to waste any sympathy upon the owner, after
once learning who he was.
It was a spectacular and fitting climax to the night's celebration,
just as though Nature wished to add her mite to the glorification on
account of the victory Chester's boys had won on the gridiron that
day.
For some time it was a fight between the rival elements, fire against
water; and as the former had obtained a good start it proved to be a
difficult thing to head it off. Here, there and in many places the
flames would break forth, and eat up whole sections of the frame
building, despite the vigorous efforts of the firemen to control them.
Fortunately there was no house near enough to be caught in the
whirlwind of flames that poured furiously forth from time to time. A
myriad of red sparks flew on the wind; but those who lived in the
quarter whence they went were doubtless taking all necessary
precautions to prevent damage, even to wetting the roofs of their
dwellings with the garden hose, or by means of buckets.
Taken in all, it was a pretty lively time in Chester, and one not soon
to be forgotten either. The fire burned well through the house. It
would have gone like a bundle of shingles only that the flames had
started at the leeward end, and consequently had to eat their way
against the wind.
Some of the boys had gone home, well tired out, but a number of them
still hung around, and seemed bent on staying as long as Jack Winters
did. If he had seen old Mr. Adkins approaching, Jack might have tried
to slip away, but he was unaware of the fact, though Joel and Toby
knew it, and exchanged nods, while refraining from putting the other
on his guard.
So suddenly Jack found himself once more seized upon by Philip Adkins.
The miser was looking a thousand per cent better than before. That
agonized expression had left his face, and something seen there caused
Toby to say aside to Joel, "He almost looks human."
"You are the boy who saved my Carl's life!" exclaimed Mr. Adkins, in a
voice that trembled with emotion, all the while he was clinging to
Jack's hand as though he did not mean to let him go free. "They tell
me that your name is Jack Winters, and that you are a comparatively
new boy in Chester. I don't remember hearing of you before, but they
say you have taken the lead of the boys here in town, and that
everybody is talking about the influence you have with them. You have
done me a great favor this night, Jack Winters. That poor little
fellow, tortured as he is by a cruel Nature, is dearer to me than most
boys are to their parents. I told you to ask me any favor you could
think of, and if it was within my means I'd gladly respond. Even now
I'd be glad to know something that I could do, just to prove to
everyone how grateful an old man like me can be. Isn't there anything
I can do for you, Jack Winters?"
The other fellows listened, and their eyes gave indication of how they
considered this the golden opportunity in Jack's life. Why, to have an
old miser worth all sorts of money say he would like to bestow
anything in his power on a boy, to show his gratitude, was an event
that only came to most fellows in dreams.
Jack had a sudden inspiration. It seemed to him that he could again
see the pitiful look on the white face of the cripple, and once more
hear little Carl saying so sadly:
"Oh! what wouldn't I give if my grandfather would only let me
_watch_ other boys play ball, and fish, and go in swimming!"
"I'll tell you something you can do, Mr. Adkins, since you seem bent
on thinking my little assistance needs compensation; and I'm going to
hold you to your promise, sir. In the first place, please alter your
opinion of the boys of Chester. They are not the gang of young
ruffians you've been picturing to yourself, when you set your mind on
keeping your grandson from coming in contact with them. They would
never taunt him, or make fun of his misfortune, sir, I give you my
word for that. They would only feel very sorry that he couldn't have
all sorts of fun like they enjoyed; and if it lay in their power at
any time I assure you every fellow would go far out of his way to give
little Carl a good time.
"I hope I'm not overbold in saying this to you, Mr. Adkins; but one
day I happened to have a little chat with Carl, who hailed me from the
top of the wall where he had climbed. And, sir, if you could have
heard the longing in his voice when he said to me at parting: 'Oh!
what wouldn't I give if my grandfather would only let me _watch_ other
boys play ball, and fish, and go in swimming!' Don't you see you are
starving his soul by keeping him away from everybody? Some day, if
he lives, he must face the world, and you're keeping him from getting
used to it now. Please think this over, Mr. Adkins, and let him mingle
with boys of his age. You'll never regret it, I'm sure, and it would
be the best thing for the boy that could happen. You'll soon see color
come in his face, and his eyes will take on a different look from the
one of pain and dread they have now. And the first boy who offends
that little cripple will have to reckon with me, sir, I give you my
word for it!"
"And with me, too," snapped Fred Badger, trying hard to keep from
letting his eyes betray the fact that he was near crying; for Jack's
earnest plea, and the thought of the lonely life the little cripple
had been leading greatly affected Fred.
Other boys added their assurances to what had already been said. Mr.
Adkins was plainly much impressed. He showed it by the way he stared
around at the circle by which he was surrounded. Jack held his breath
with suspense. He wondered if he had made the impression he hoped for
when saying what he did. Strange, how things had worked to bring
matters to this focus.
"I _will_ think it over, Jack," said the old man, presently. "I
already begin to find my eyes opened to the fact that I have sadly
misjudged the Chester boys all these years. This almost tragic event
may be what was needed to lift the scales from my distorted vision,
and enable me to see clearly. Yes, I will think it over, and let you
know the result very soon. If I can convince myself that it would be
for that dear child's benefit there is nothing from which I would
shrink."
And after the boys had seen him depart, once more hurrying back to
where Carl lay bundled up in blankets, every fellow insisted on
shaking Jack's hand, and telling how his feat in saving the cripple
was overshadowed in his victory over the crabbed old boy-hating miser.