WHO THE MAN WAS
For several seconds after the crash came the four Rover boys were so
startled that they did nothing but stare at the overturned touring car.
The sky being so overcast, it was dark in the barn, so they could see
little. Then, however, came another flash of lightning which revealed
to them the body of the man lying partly outside and partly under the
overturned tonneau, the top of which had been completely wrecked.
“Gosh, I wonder if he’s killed!” gasped Fred.
“Looks as if he might be,” returned Jack, for the man neither moved nor
made any outcry.
The wheels of the automobile were still spinning around and two or
three strokes came from the engine. But then the power died away and
the wheels stopped.
“If only the wreck doesn’t catch on fire!” burst out Randy. He well
knew the danger from such a source. As all of my young readers must
know, gasoline is very inflammable when unconfined and needs but a
single spark to touch it off.
“She’s leaking, all right! And it isn’t the radiator, either!”
announced Randy, as another flash of lightning came in through the open
doorway and the broken side of the old barn.
Jack was already looking around the structure, and now he found what
he wanted――a couple of beams which had been used to brace up the old
building.
“Come on, quick! We’ve got to pry the machine up and pull that man
out,” he ordered. “Everybody on the job!”
His cousins understood and all four boys went to work with a will.
Fortunately, the instructions received during the Hall encampment now
stood them in good stead; and under Jack’s directions they soon placed
two large stones in position and then, using the beams as levers, pried
up the car, the others holding it while Fred pulled the unfortunate
individual from beneath.
“Bend down, Fred, and see if there’s anybody else in the car,” cried
Jack. “There might be someone we didn’t notice.”
The young captain did as asked. All he could discover was a light
overcoat and a gladstone bag, and he hauled both of these out. Then the
car was allowed to settle once more. Both the gasoline and the water
were running from it, but so far there seemed to be little danger of
fire.
“Unless, of course, the lightning should strike the place,” said Jack.
“Then everything will go up in a hurry.”
The fumes of the gasoline were now heavy, and the Rover boys lost no
time in carrying the man outside. He was unconscious, but they were
glad to know that he was not dead. His face was covered with dirt and
blood and his clothing was torn away from his left arm, which was also
bleeding.
“A pretty bad case, I should say,” said Fred. “He looks a little bit
familiar to me, too. Do any of you recognize him?”
“Can’t recognize anybody with so much blood and dirt,” announced Andy.
All set to work to do what they could for the hurt man, fearing every
instant that he might die on their hands. Despite the rain, they
scooped up water from a nearby pool and, using their handkerchiefs,
bathed the sufferer. They were doing this when he gave a gasp and
presently opened his eyes.
“Oh, oh!” he groaned. “What did I hit? Was it a barn?” and then he
closed his eyes again.
“Maybe he isn’t hurt as badly as we thought,” cried Jack, in relieved
tones. “There doesn’t seem to be any glass in his eyes, and he can be
mighty thankful for that.”
Fred and Andy had gone for more water, and presently came back with an
old tin can filled. With this Jack continued to bathe the face of the
sufferer, washing the blood away as best he could, while Randy worked
over the man’s arm, which was cut and scratched in a dozen places.
It was still very dark, but an occasional flash of lightning lit up
the scene, and it was during one of these flashes that Jack suddenly
uttered an exclamation.
“Do you know what I think?” he exclaimed. “I think this is Mr.
Garrison!”
“What! Gif’s father?” ejaculated Fred. “Uncle Fred?” He had always
called the man after whom he had been named “uncle,” even though they
were not relatives.
“Yes, sir, it’s Gif’s father!” answered the young major. “It’s a wonder
I didn’t recognize him before!”
“Gif’s father! Think of that!” murmured Andy. “Gee, I hope he isn’t
hurt very much! It will be a terrible shock to Gif, not to say anything
about his mother!”
Having recognized the man as the father of one of their best chums, and
one who in years gone by had been a great chum of the older Rovers, the
boys renewed their efforts on behalf of the sufferer, carrying him to
a shed some distance back of the old barn. Here they found some straw
and a few empty bags and laid Mr. Garrison upon those.
“We might better get a doctor for him and telephone the news to Colby
Hall,” said Jack. “I guess I can run back to Haven Point and get
someone.”
“Want me to go with you?” asked Andy. “Or would you rather that the
three of us stayed here and took care of him?”
“You’d better stay and do everything you can,” answered the young
major, and then set off on a dog-trot through the rain.
Less than half an hour later Jack had obtained the services of a Doctor
Parsons, who happened to be in his office at the time, and had likewise
telephoned to Colby Hall, getting Captain Dale on the wire. The captain
had said that he would at once inform Gif and also Colonel Colby and
that someone would come to the old shed as speedily as possible. Then
the young major and the doctor set off in the latter’s automobile
for the scene of the accident, the physician taking bandages and his
medical case.
In the meantime those left at the shed continued to do what they could
for Mr. Garrison, and presently had the satisfaction of seeing him open
his eyes once more. The storm was lessening, the lightning and thunder
fast drawing off to the eastward, and it was growing lighter.
“Oh, my head!” murmured the sufferer. “And my arm! What’s the matter
with my arm?” he questioned feebly.
“You’ve had a terrible shaking up, Uncle Fred,” said his namesake
kindly.
“Uncle Fred? Who is that that is speaking?” The man stared at the young
captain. “Why, I declare, it’s Fred Rover! Where did you come from?”
“We were in the old barn keeping out of the rain when you smashed into
it and upset your machine.”
“We? Who do you mean? Oh, I see! Here are Andy and Randy.” Mr. Garrison
tried to go on, but for the moment was too weak to do so. “I thought I
was going to be killed!” he groaned.
“I suppose your car skidded?” suggested Randy.
“It did. You see, I thought it wouldn’t be necessary to put on the
chains because I was going to stop at Haven Point, and then go up
to the school to-morrow. I came around the curve and then, all of a
sudden, lost control, and the next thing I knew I hit something and
then――and then I didn’t know anything.”
“That was when you smashed through the side of the barn almost where we
were standing.”
“Did I hurt you?”
“Oh, no. We weren’t touched. But the car went over and you were caught
under it and we had to drag you out,” answered Andy. “The glass cut you
up pretty well and something tore the clothing from your arm and hurt
it.”
Mr. Garrison tried to sit up, and then fell back helplessly.
“I feel as if I’d been through a wringer,” he murmured. “Can you get a
doctor?”
“Jack has already gone for one.”
“Oh, then he was here too?”
“Yes. He has gone to Haven Point to get a doctor, and said he would
telephone to Colby Hall.”
“Poor Gif! And I was going to give him a pleasant surprise to-morrow,”
murmured the sufferer. “Well, I suppose I can be thankful I wasn’t
killed or hurt worse. The glass might have gotten into my eyes and
blinded me.”
A little later the physician and the young major arrived and the
medical man went to work at once over the sufferer.
“It doesn’t look as if any bones were broken,” he announced, after a
careful examination. “But he has received quite a shock and a severe
bruise on the head and another on his arm besides all these cuts and
scratches.”
He was still at work when an automobile drew up nearby, driven by Bob
Nixon. It contained Colonel Colby and Gif.
“My dad! Where is my dad?” demanded Gif excitedly. “Is he badly hurt?”
“The doctor says it isn’t serious, Gif,” answered Jack, catching his
chum by the arm, for he could see that Gif was trembling all over.
“Take it easy, old man. He only got bumped and scratched.”
There was a good deal of excitement for a few moments, Gif kneeling
by his father’s side and holding his uninjured hand tightly. Everyone
present could see how much the father and son thought of each other.
Then Colonel Colby came forward to greet the man who in years gone by
had been his schoolmate at Putnam Hall.
“Tough luck, Fred!” he said kindly. “But we’re all mighty glad that you
weren’t killed.”
“Well, I’m glad myself, Larry,” responded Mr. Garrison, and for just an
instant his old-time smile flitted across his face.
At first it was decided to take Mr. Garrison to the doctor’s home in
Haven Point. But Gif demurred somewhat at this, and Colonel Colby
caught the cadet by the arm.
“Would you rather have him at the Hall?” questioned the master of the
institution kindly. “If so, I’ll be only too glad to let him use one of
the rooms in my house. Young Professor Ditson has left, and your father
might as well have that room as not. It overlooks the river and would
be an ideal place for him.”
“Oh, Colonel! If you only would take him up there,” cried Gif, “then I
could see him two or three times a day. And I’m sure mother would feel
better, too. You know, she thinks a great deal of you and your school.”
“Then we’ll take him to the Hall,” was the prompt reply. “I think we
can carry him right up in our automobile, and we’ll ask the doctor to
come along so that he can do everything possible for your father after
we put him to bed.”
The heavy storm had now let up considerably, although the dark clouds
still hovered to the eastward and the rumble of thunder could be heard
in the distance. With great care the men and boys, assisted by the
chauffeur, managed to get the sufferer into the back of the Colby Hall
automobile. There he was made as comfortable as possible on a bedding
of straw, sacks, and robes. Then all set out for the school, followed
by the doctor, who carried several of the cadets with him, Colonel
Colby and Gif riding with the sufferer.
The news of the accident had spread, and quite a number of cadets
were on hand to see Mr. Garrison taken from the automobile and placed
in the residence occupied by Colonel Colby’s family and some of the
professors. But there was no noise or confusion, and the cadets were
informed that they must keep away from the place until further orders.
In the meanwhile, a trained nurse had been telephoned for, and she
soon arrived from Haven Point and took charge under the physician’s
directions.
“Gee, you fellows don’t know how thankful I am to you for what you have
done,” said Gif earnestly to the Rover boys. He had had a toothache
that morning, and consequently had not gone to church with the others.
Now the excitement had driven the toothache completely away.
“We are glad we were on hand to help him,” answered Jack.
“Seems to me we’re becoming regular ‘Johnnies on the Spot,’” chuckled
Andy. “First when the flying machine went to pieces and now at this
auto accident!”
When the doctor finally came away he told Gif that his father would
probably be all right in a week or ten days.
“The bruises are just plain bruises and nothing else,” declared the
physician. “Of course, his face and his arm will feel mighty sore for
a while and it will take time for those cuts and scratches to heal. But
so far as I can see there is nothing serious.”
Several days passed, and during that time the smashed automobile was
taken away. Mr. Garrison was soon able to sit up and enjoy his meals.
He spent many a pleasant hour with Colonel Colby, the two talking over
their numerous adventures while they had been classmates with the older
Rovers.
“I came to give Gif and his chums a little surprise,” said Mr. Garrison.
“Well, you gave them a surprise, all right enough,” broke in Colonel
Colby, with a twinkle in his eyes.
“It wasn’t that kind of surprise, Larry,” answered Mr. Garrison. “I had
quite something else in my mind,” and then he mentioned what it was.
“That’s fine, Fred! Fine!” exclaimed the owner of the Hall. “I’m sure
that Gif will be delighted, and his chums too. I know that that whole
bunch of boys was tickled to death when Songbird Powell invited them
out to Big Horn Ranch.”