LUCKY JIMMY.
"Oh! Ned, he's gone--poor Jimmy--pulled right over by that burro!"
Harry was crying as he stood there almost petrified with horror, while
his own pack animal acted as though it might be terrified by the fate
that had overtaken its mate, for it snorted and pulled back strenuously.
Ned knew that unless the remaining three burros were quieted a still
greater disaster was apt to overtake them.
"Speak to your animal, Harry; get him soothed right away! Easy now,
Teddy, stand still where you are! It's all right, old fellow! Back up
against the rock and stand still there."
Ned as he spoke in this strain managed to throw a coil or two of the
leading rope over a jutting spur of rock. Then turning round, he crept
on hands and knees to the edge of the yawning precipice and looked
over, shuddering to note that while not nearly so high as that other
precipice had been, at the same time the fall must be all of seventy
feet.
There at the foot he could see the unfortunate burro on his back and
with never a sign of life about him. Doubtless that tumble must have
effectually broken his neck and ended his days of usefulness.
"Do you see him, Ned?" asked a trembling voice close by, and the scout
leader knew that Jack too had crawled to the edge in order to discover
what had become of poor Jimmy McGraw.
"Not yet," replied Ned, sadly; "he may be hidden under the burro, or
lying in among that clump of bushes."
"But glory be, he ain't, all the same!" said a voice just then that
thrilled them all. "If ye be lookin' over this way ye'll discover the
same Jimmy aholdin' on with a death grip to a fine old rock that sticks
out from the face of the precipice. But 'tis me arms that feel like
they was pulled part way out of the sockets with the jerk; and I'd
thank ye to pass a rope down as soon as ye get over the surprise of
havin' a ghost address ye."
"Bully for you, Jimmy!" exclaimed Jack; "seems like you've got nearly
as many lives as a cat. Hold on like anything, because Ned's getting a
rope right now, and he'll heave it over in three shakes of a lamb's
tail. Don't look down, Jimmy, but keep your eye on me. We'll pull you
out of that in a jiffy, sure we will. And here comes Ned right now with
the rope. He's even made a noose at the end, so as to let you put your
foot in the same. Keep holding on, Jimmy, old fellow!"
In this manner, then, did Jack try to encourage the one in peril, so as
to stiffen his muscles, and cause him to keep his grip on that friendly
crag that had saved him from sharing the dreadful fate of the wretched
burro.
Jimmy had fortunately kept his wits about him, and although the strain
was very great, because he could find no rest for his dangling feet, he
managed to hold his awkward position until the rope came within reach.
"Be careful, now, how you manage!" called Ned, from his position
fifteen feet above the head of the imperiled scout. "Let me angle for
your foot, and once I get the noose fast around it, you can rest your
weight safely. But Jimmy, remember not to let go with one hand, because
your other might slip. Leave it all to me."
Ned was already working the rope so that the open noose twirled slowly
around, coming in contact with Jimmy's foot, which the other thrust out
purposely. While no expert in such angling and more or less worked up
with fears lest Jimmy suddenly lose his precarious hold, and go down to
his death, Ned presently met with success. The noose passed over the
waiting foot, and was instantly jerked tight by a quick movement from
above.
By then Jack was alongside the scout master eager to lend his
assistance when it came to the point of lifting Jimmy. Harry, too,
hovered just behind them, unable to look over because it made him dizzy
when so terribly excited, but only too ready to take hold of the end of
the rope and bracing his feet against some projection of the rocky
trail, throw all his weight into the endeavor to draw the one they
meant to rescue to the safety of the path.
It was speedily but cautiously accomplished, for Ned would not allow
himself to be needlessly hurried, knowing how disasters so often result
from not taking the proper care.
Jimmy was looking a trifle peaked and worried as he came clambering
over the edge of the narrow path, assisted by Ned, who as soon as he
could get a grip on the other scout's jacket knew that all was well. No
sooner did Jimmy realize that he was surely safe than he proceeded to
indulge on one of his favorite grins, although they could see that a
deep sigh of gratitude accompanied the same.
The very first thing he did was to turn around, and lying flat on his
chest, look back down into that gulf from which he had just been
dragged.
"Gee, whiz! but that was somethin' of a drop, believe me!" he remarked,
trying to keep his voice from trembling. "And there lies me silly old
burro on his back with never a sign of a kick acomin'. He's sure on the
blink and whatever am I agoin' to do now, without any Navajo blanket to
sleep in nights? Mebbe we might have ropes aplenty to lower me down
there, so I could recover me valuables. 'Tis a piece of great luck I
had me Marlin gun in me hands at the time and dropped it on the ledge,
so I did."
"If we couldn't get the things any other way, Jimmy," announced Ned,
"perhaps I'd agree to that spliced rope business, because we've got
more than thirty yards of good line with us, but I'd go down myself and
not let you try a second time. Still I don't think it'll be necessary.
From what I see of the lay of the mountain we can reach that place
after we leave this narrow trail."
Jimmy did not insist. Perhaps his nerves had been more roughly shaken
by his recent experience than he cared to admit; and the possibility of
again finding himself dangling in space did not appeal very strongly to
him.
It was just as well that Ned decided the matter as he did, for they
found that once the end of the narrow stretch of rock was gained it was
no great task to creep along the side of the mountain to the place
where the dead pack animal lay.
Ned and Jack made the little journey and in due time turned up again
carrying with them all that had been upon the burro, save the water keg.
"We left that behind," explained Ned, "because as we are done with
desert travel for this trip we won't find any need of such a thing. But
here's your precious Navajo colored blanket, Jimmy; likewise we've
saved what grub there was in the pack."
"Good for you, Ned; I'd hated to lose that blanket the worst kind, you
know; and as for the food end of the deal, well, what's the use telling
you how I feel about that when you all know that I'm the candy boy when
the dinner horn blows."
Jimmy was a great "feeder," as Jack called it, and on many an occasion
this weakness on his part had made him the butt of practical jokes on
the part of his chums. But Jimmy was not the one to give up any
cherished object simply because some one laughed at him on account of
it. He was more apt to join in the merriment and consider it all a good
joke.
The journey was now resumed, and the balance of the afternoon they met
with no new hardships or perils worth recording. When the day was done
and the shadows of coming night began to steal forth from all their
hiding places where the bright sunlight had failed to locate them, the
four scouts had reached the foot of the rocky mountain range and looked
out upon the plain.
Here they made camp and passed a pleasant night with nothing to disturb
their slumbers save the distant howl of a wolf, which was a familiar
sound in the ears of these lads, since they had roughed it on many
occasions in the past in more than a few strange parts of the world.
Although they had recently passed through some very arduous experiences
these were only looked on as vague reminiscences by these energetic
chums. The future beckoned with rosy fingers and that level plain
looked very attractive in their eyes, after such a long and painful
trip across the burning deserts and through that terrible Death Valley,
where so many venturesome prospectors, gold-mad, have left their bones
as a monument to their folly.
When morning came again they cooked breakfast with new vim. And the
fragrant odor of the coffee seemed to appeal to them with more than
ordinary force because of the bright prospect that opened before them.
"Ned says it might be only two more days before we get close to Uncle
Job's ranch," remarked Harry, as he assisted Jimmy in getting
breakfast; for since the latter was so fond of eating his comrades
always saw to it that he had a hand in the preparation of the meals, to
which Jimmy was never heard to offer the slightest objection.
"Then it's me that will have to be studying harder on all them cowboy
terms so they won't take me for a greeny," Jimmy went on to say in
reply. "You just wait and see how I branch out a full-blown puncher.
Right now I c'n ride a bucking pony and stick in the saddle like a
leech; and I'm practicin' how to throw a rope, though I must say I
don't get it very good and sometimes drop the old loop over my own coco
instead of the post I'm aimin' to lasso. But I'll never give it up till
I get there. That's the way with the McGraws, we're all set in our way
and want baseball championships and everything else that's good to own."
"Jimmy," called out Jack just then, "I think if you didn't talk so much
we'd be getting our breakfast sooner, because you kind of cool things
off. There, see how the coffee boils like mad whenever you hold up. How
about it, Harry, isn't it nearly done? I'm feeling half-starved, to
tell you the truth."
"Then I'm not the only pebble on the beach this time, it seems,"
chuckled Jimmy, who was so used to being made fun of on account of his
voracious appetite that he felt happy to find that someone else could
also get hungry on occasion.
"In three minutes we'll give you the high sign, Jack," Harry announced
and he was as good as his word, for it was not long before the chums
might have been seen discussing the food that had been prepared and
making merry over the meal as was their usual custom.
Starting forth in high spirits they began to head across the plain and
at about noon all of them were electrified on hearing the distant but
unmistakable whistle of a locomotive, showing that they were
approaching the railroad.
After their recent experiences in the dead lands this sign of
civilization was enough to thrill them through and through. Jimmy was
immediately waving his hat and letting off a few yells to denote his
overwhelming joy; while even Ned looked around with more or less of a
smile on his face.
"Sounds like home, don't it?" asked Jack, beaming on the rest. "Takes
you back to good old New York, where you can sit down next to a plate
of ice cream when your tongue feels thick from the heat and cool off.
Seems like I'd never get my fill of cold stuff again."
Pushing on they presently sighted the railroad and also discovered that
just as Ned had figured would be the case, they were approaching a town.
"That's where we ordered our mail to be sent on from Los Angeles, up to
the tenth, and I hope we find letters waiting for us," Harry remarked;
for he was quite a correspondent, though not in the same class with
Frank Shaw, another member of the Black Bear Patrol, whose father owned
a big daily in New York and who often contributed letters to its
columns when he was away on trips with Ned.
Ned on his part was wondering whether he would receive anything in the
way of business communications from the Government people in
Washington, for it would be forwarded on from Los Angeles if such a
message did come in cipher.
So anxious were the boys to reach the settlement on the railroad that
it was decided not to stop for any lunch at noon but to push right
along. If there was any eating place in the town they could get a bite
before leaving; and the change from camp fare might be agreeable to
them all.
At two o'clock they reached the place, which was hardly of respectable
size, although it had a station and post office. The first thing the
boys did was to head for this latter place and ask for mail, which was
handed out after the old man had slowly gone over several packages.
Strangers were such a novelty in that Nevada railroad settlement that
the postmaster evidently was consumed with curiosity to know what could
have brought four lively looking boys dressed in khaki suits very much
on the same pattern as United States regulars, to that jumping-off
place. But they did not bother themselves explaining and he had to take
it out in guessing that the Government was so hard pushed for recruits
now in the army that they had to enlist boys not fully grown.
While the other boys were eagerly devouring the contents of the various
envelopes they had received, bearing the New York post mark, Ned, who
had put his own letters in his pocket for later reading, sauntered over
to the station to interview the telegraph agent, who was also the
ticket man, express agent and filled various other offices as well
after the usual custom of these small towns.
It was only a short time later that Jack, Harry and Jimmy, still
devouring the long letters they had received, in which all the news of
the home circles was retailed, saw Ned walking briskly toward them.
"He's struck something or other that's given him reason to chirk up,"
announced the observant Jimmy, as he took a shrewd look at Ned's face
on the scout master drawing near. "Ten to one he's had word from the
head of the Secret Service in Washington. It'd sure be pretty punk now
if after comin' so far over deserts and the like to visit your uncle,
we had to drop off here and take the train back to Los Angeles, so Ned
could help gather in some gang of counterfeiters or look up a bunch of
smugglers bringing the Heathen Chinese across the Mexican border while
all that fighting is goin' on down there between Villa and Huerta."
Ned quickly joined them. They could see from the alert look on his face
that something must have happened since he left them shortly before to
arouse Ned. His eyes shone with resolution and he had the look that
appears on a hunter's face when he discovers the track of the animal he
had long wanted to bag.
"Did you find a message waiting for you here, Ned?" asked Harry.
"Just what I did," came the reply.
"Then it must have been from Washington?" suggested Jack, anxiously.
"But let's hope for Harry's sake it won't call you off from this scheme
we've got started."
"That's the strangest thing of it all," replied Ned; "because, you see,
this message was meant to send me from Los Angeles straight down into
this very section of the Colorado River country."