UNCLE BARNEY STEVENSON
"What is that?"
"It's somebody calling for help!"
"It's a man's voice; and he must be in pretty bad shape to call like
that!" burst out Jack.
"Hello there!" yelled Randy. "Where are you?"
"Here! Under the fallen tree!" came in a faint cry. "Help me, quick!"
"I think the cry came from that direction," said Andy, pointing with his
hand.
"And I think it came from over there," added his twin, pointing off at a
right angle to the first direction given.
"I think Andy is right!" exclaimed Jack. "Anyway, he and I can go off in
that direction, while you, Randy, and Fred can see if you can locate him
over yonder."
Neither of the boys had been exactly right in locating the cry for
assistance, which had come from a point about midway between the two
places suggested, but it was Jack who saw a large fallen tree from a
distance and ran quickly toward it, yelling for all of the others to do
likewise.
The sight which met their gaze filled them with a pity and a strong
desire to be of assistance. There, in the snow, lay an elderly man, clad
in the garb of a hunter or lumberman, with a shotgun and a well-worn
game bag beside him. Over the man's legs and one outstretched arm,
rested the upper portion of a large pine tree, which had evidently
crashed down because of the weight of snow upon it but a short time
before. The man lay on his chest, and it was all he could do to raise
his head to cry for aid.
"Say, this is tough!" exclaimed Andy, as he reached the spot. "What can
we do to help him?"
"We've got to pry up that tree somehow," answered Jack.
"Come on; let us see if we can't lift it!" exclaimed Randy, and took
hold of one of the numerous branches.
The others did the same, and all pulled upon the tree with their utmost
strength. Yet, it was too heavy for them and could scarcely be budged.
"We've got to get some kind of pry and pry it up," announced Jack. "I
wish we had brought a hatchet along. I meant to bring one, so that we
could make firewood, but I forgot it."
"Help me! Help me!" moaned the man. "Don't leave me here pinned down
like this;" and then he seemed to faint.
Alarmed by the condition of the sufferer, the boys ran around the spot
looking for something which might aid them in releasing the man. They
found several flat stones, and then discovered a sapling which they
succeeded in pulling up by the roots. Piling up the flat stones close to
the fallen tree, they placed the sapling upon them, using it as a lever,
and by this means Jack and the twins managed to raise the fallen pine
just high enough to allow Fred to haul the hurt man from under it. Then
they let the pine slip back to its original position.
"Looks to me as if he might have his two legs broken, and maybe his
arm," announced Jack, after they had placed the man on his back with his
head raised on some pine boughs stripped from the trees. The sufferer's
eyes were closed, and he breathed heavily.
"We ought to get a doctor for him just as soon as possible," said Randy.
"But where to go for one, excepting back to Haven Point, I don't know."
While the young hunters were wondering what they had better do, the man
slowly opened his eyes and gave a gasp.
"Help me! Please help me!" he cried feebly.
"Don't excite yourself, you're all right now," answered Jack kindly.
"Take it easy. We'll do what we can for you."
The man had closed his eyes again, but now he opened them and tried to
look around him.
"You got me clear of the fallen tree, did you?" he murmured. "Good! I
was afraid I'd have to stay there until I froze to death."
"How about it? Can you use your left arm?" questioned Jack.
"I don't know. I guess so," answered the man, and then tried to raise
the arm in question. He held it up for a few seconds, but then let it
drop heavily by his side.
"It's pretty well lamed I reckon," he said. "You see, I had it right
under one of the tree limbs."
"What about your legs? Can you move them at all?" went on the oldest
Rover boy. He did not have the heart to mention that the man's lower
limbs might be broken.
Feebly, the man raised up first one leg and then the other. The limbs
had not been broken, but they were much bruised and swollen, and the
movements caused the sufferer to give a groan.
"I'm afraid I'm done up so far as walking is concerned," he said
dolefully. "You see, I'm getting old," he went on. "If I was a younger
man, maybe this wouldn't affect me quite so much. But as it is----" He
shook his head dismally.
"I guess you had better let us carry you out of the woods," said Jack.
"You can't walk, and you certainly can't stay here alone."
"Do you know where the nearest house is located?" questioned Randy.
"Let me see----" The man mused for a moment, shutting his eyes while he
did so. "Unless I'm greatly mistaken, Bill Hobson lives on the edge of
the woods just to the north of this spot."
"Is he a farmer?" questioned Fred.
"No, he's a lumberman, like myself," was the reply. The man looked from
one to another of the youths. "May I ask who you are?"
"We're the Rover boys," answered the oldest of the four. "I am Jack
Rover, and these are my cousins, Fred, Andy, and Randy."
"Glad to know you, boys; and doubly glad to think you were up in this
section of the woods just when I had this accident. I sha'n't forget
your kindness. My name is Stevenson, but most all the folks that know me
call me Uncle Barney. I take it from your uniforms that you belong at
Colby Hall."
"We do," answered Andy.
"I don't belong in this neighborhood. I just came over early this
morning to see what the hunting looked like around here. My home is on
Snowshoe Island, in the middle of Lake Monona, about ten miles north of
here."
"I think you had better rest on some of these pine boughs while some of
us try to locate the Bill Hobson you mentioned," said Jack. "Can you
point out the general direction of his place?"
"It's up along this mountain stream," and Barney Stevenson indicated the
Rick Rack River. "You just follow that watercourse for about a quarter
of a mile, and I'm pretty sure you'll come to it."
"Well, if you're sure it's along this stream, we might as well try to
get you there first as last," announced Randy. He turned to his cousins.
"Why can't we take turns in carrying him, either on our backs or on a
litter?"
"I think we had better try to make some sort of litter of pine boughs,"
answered Jack. "It will be much easier for the four of us to do the
carrying than for one."
"I've got a hatchet in my game bag, and you can cut some pine boughs
with that. And you will find some cord in my game bag, too."
"How did the accident happen, if I may ask?" questioned Randy, while
Jack began to trim several large boughs from the fallen pine.
"It came quicker'n lightning," was the old lumberman's answer. "I had
just spotted a fine, fat rabbit, and was taking aim, when, without
warning, the tree gave a sudden snap like the report of a gun, and down
it came right on top of me. Of course, I tried to jump out of the way,
but my foot caught on a tree root, or a rock, or something, and down I
went, and the next minute the tree came down on top of me, right across
my legs and my left arm, like when you found me. I tried to pull myself
loose, but my legs and my arm seemed to be wedged down between the tree
and some stones, and I couldn't budge nary a one of 'em."
"I guess you can be thankful that you didn't break your arm or your
legs."
"I suppose that's true, my boy. Just the same, I suppose this will lay
me up for a week or two, and maybe longer," answered Barney Stevenson,
dubiously.
Having cut several pine boughs that looked as if they might answer the
purpose, the four boys lost no time in twisting them together and then
tying them into a rude litter. Across this they laid additional pine
boughs, and upon these placed the form of the hurt man. When they moved
him he shut his teeth hard, evidently to keep from crying out with
pain.
"I know it must hurt you, Mr. Stevenson," said Jack kindly. "We'll be
just as careful as possible."
"I know you'll be, my lads. I suppose I ought to have a doctor, but if I
can get to Bill Hobson's cabin, I guess I'll be all right. Bill will
most likely have some liniment, and that will fix me up."
With the old lumberman resting on the litter and the four youths
carrying this as carefully as possible, the party made its way along the
Rick Rack River, which at this point was little better than a mountain
torrent. They had considerable difficulty in climbing over the rocks and
in making their way through the heavy brushwood, but finally they came
out to a cleared space, beyond which there were only scattered patches
of trees.
"I see some smoke!" cried Fred presently.
"That must be the smoke from Bill Hobson's place," announced the old
lumberman, and then he closed his eyes once more and lay back on the
litter, for the pain he was suffering was great.
Keeping on in the direction where they had seen the smoke, they soon
came in sight of a fairly large cabin with a lean-to attached. They
marched up to the place, and Jack rapped upon the door, which was opened
a moment later by a burly man, well along in years.
"What do you want?" began the man, and then looked past Jack to the
litter and the old lumberman lying on it. "What's this? Why, it's Uncle
Barney, I declare! What's happened?"
"I got hurt by a falling tree, Bill," was the reply. "And if it hadn't
been for these cadets, I might be layin' down in the woods yet."
"He is quite a bit hurt," explained Jack. "You had better let us carry
him in and place him on a couch or a bed of some kind."
"Surest thing you know, young man," answered Bill Hobson. "Fetch him
right in," and he turned to make a bunk ready for the sufferer.
Fortunately the cabin was well warmed, so that as soon as they had
Barney Stevenson safe inside, they lost no time in taking off some of
his clothing and examining his hurts. The other old lumberman, assisted
by Jack, did this, and Hobson examined the condition of his friend with
care.
"I can't see that anything is broken," he announced; "but those bruises
are pretty bad. I think I'll bathe 'em with hot water, and then put on
some liniment and bind 'em up."
"I guess I'll have to stay right where I am for a spell, Bill," said the
hurt man.
"That's what, Uncle Barney. And you're welcome to stay as long as you
please," announced the owner of the cabin. The boys had brought along
the old lumberman's game bag and shotgun.
Bill Hobson wanted to know the particulars of the affair, and the Rover
boys related how they had come up into the woods to hunt and heard
Barney Stevenson's cries for assistance, and how they had liberated him
and brought him along on the litter.
"I'm very thankful indeed to you," said Barney Stevenson, and his face
showed his gratitude. "If I can ever do you boys a good turn, believe
me, I'll do it."
"Didn't you say you lived on Snowshoe Island?" queried Jack.
"Yes."
"I've heard of the place, but I don't know exactly where it is located
or why they call it Snowshoe Island."
"It's a big island located almost in the middle of Lake Monona,"
answered the old lumberman. "I own the place, and it's called Snowshoe
Island because some years ago a number of Indians lived on it and made
their living by making snowshoes. The Indians are all gone now."
"I guess, Uncle Barney, you've lived on that island a good number of
years," put in Bill Hobson.
"Twelve years coming this Christmas," was the reply. "I went there the
day after my wife was buried," and the old lumberman's face clouded as
if the memory of what had happened was still bitter.
"Do you do any lumbering there?" questioned Randy, more to change the
subject than for any other reason.
"Oh, yes; I do quite some lumbering during the season. I have a firm in
the city that sends up there every year for all the stuff I cut. At this
time of year. I like to go out hunting. It's the one sport that I
thoroughly enjoy. And I reckon you boys enjoy it, too, or you wouldn't
be out with your guns."
"Yes, we like to go hunting once in a while."
"Well, now, listen to me, boys. You saved my life out there in the
woods, and if I was real well off, I'd try to reward you for it. But, as
it is----"
"We don't want any reward," broke in Jack quickly.
"I know you don't--you're not that kind. And I'm not going to offend you
by offering it. Just the same, if you ever feel like coming over to
Snowshoe Island and paying me a visit, I'll treat you as well as I know
how."
"Maybe we might be able to go over there and do some hunting some
time," suggested Andy.
"Yes, you come over some time and stay a few days or a week with me, and
I'll give you the best time hunting I can," answered Barney Stevenson.
"By the way, Mr. Stevenson," said Jack curiously, "do you know a Mr.
Frederic Stevenson?" Jack had learned from Ruth that that was her
father's name.
At this unexpected question, the old lumberman opened wide his eyes and
glared at the young cadet.
"Yes, I know him--very well," he growled. "But I don't want to hear
anything about him--not a word! Is he a friend of yours?"
"He is the father of one of the young ladies who is a pupil at
Clearwater Hall."
"Oh, I see! Humph! Well, I don't want to hear anything about Fred
Stevenson, and if you want to be friends with me, you needn't mention
his name to me again," went on the old lumberman, much to the surprise
of the Rover boys.