Boy Scouts in Glacier Park
Page 30
CHAPTER XXVIII--Tom Starts on a Long Hike in the Deep Snow, Over theDivide, Risking Snow-Slides, to Save the Ranger's Life
The Ranger spoke in jest, but in the night the boys were awakened by hisgroans, and they found his words were anything but a joke. He wassuffering terrible pain, in his stomach evidently, and they had neverseen anybody look so sick. They scrambled into clothes; Joe made up thefire and put on water to heat, while Tom got out their first aid kit,and made an emetic, which they got down the poor Ranger's throat. Theresults eased his pain a little, but the boys were certainly scared.
"We _got_ to get a doctor," Tom cried. "We _got_ to--a doctor orsomebody who knows what to do. I got to get over Swift Current, and downto Lake McDonald, to the Park superintendent's office. That's all thereis to it."
"You can't--you can't!" Joe exclaimed. "Think of that head wall if aslide hit you! Besides, it's thirty miles to the hotel at the head ofthe lake, and you don't know the way. I do. I'll have to go."
"A lot I'll let _you_ go! No such over-exertion for you, and you justwell. Besides, I know the way over the pass and down to Mineral Creek.Then I turn south, through the woods, and just follow the one trail. Icouldn't miss it, and if I did, all I'd have to do would be to take thecreek bed. I can start before daylight, get to the head wall at sunrise,be over the pass and down the other side before noon, and have fivehours of light to make twenty miles."
"What if there shouldn't be any caretaker at the hotel at the head ofthe lake?" said Joe.
"I'll break in and use the 'phone, and make a fire. Anyhow, I'll pack mysleeping-bag on my back, and get to the superintendent's camp the nextmorning."
He flew to make his preparations, putting on all his warmest clothes,with extra socks and mitts stowed in his sleeping-bag, while Joe put himup tea, bacon, matches, raisins and sweet chocolate, in the smallestpossible space, got his axe and compass, and extra snow-shoe thongs incase of accident, and finally cooked him some bacon and made tea.
"I'm coming with you to the foot of the Swift Current switchbacks," saidJoe. "I _got_ to know whether you get up to the top safe!"
"But the Ranger?"
"I can't help him much if I stay--and I guess he's in no more dangerthan you'll be. Oh, Spider, I _got_ to know if you get up there safe!"
Poor Joe was close to anxious tears as he spoke, and Tom grasped hishand.
"I'll get there!" he cried.
Mills was now only half conscious, moaning on his bed, and the two boysslipped out into the starlight and pushed up the Swift Current trail. Itwas bitterly cold. Joe carried the pack all the way to the foot of theswitchbacks, so that Tom could be as fresh as possible. Then, at thefoot, as day was beginning to redden in the east and give light enoughto follow the windings of the trail by, for, on this steep slope, evensuch a deep snow could not quite hide the cuts the trail made in thebank, the two scouts shook hands silently, and Tom started up.
"It's Mills' life, or mine," he said, grimly.
Joe watched him go up, slowly, carefully, following the trail whereverhe could detect it by the contour of the snow. Two or three times hissnow-shoes started a small slide of loose snow, but as he was above thestarting point, it left him secure, rushing down past Joe with a whirland shower of snow powder. But on this slope, steep as it was, the tinytrees and shrubs seemed to anchor the snow, and there were no largeslides at all. After an hour, from far above him, Joe heard a faint,thin, "Hoo-oo!" and knew that Tom was beyond danger.
His heart seemed to come back into his breast again, and with a greatsigh of relief he hurried back in the level sunrise light, to the cabin,to do what he could for the sufferer.
There followed for Joe a long vigil, almost helpless, with a very sickman. He gave him hot water to drink, and improvised a hot water bag witha hot stone wrapped in flannel, but he had no medicines, and could dolittle but watch the poor Ranger suffer, and wonder, and wonder, how Tomwas getting on, until a great, dark, ugly cloud suddenly began to comeover the top of the Divide, from the west, and his wonder changed tofear and then almost to terror. It looked as if the worst blizzard ofall was raging already on the west side of the range, where Tom wastracking, all alone, miles from any human being, in the deep forests ofthe canyon!