The New Boys at Oakdale

by Morgan Scott

  CHAPTER XXVII

  LIKE A MIRACLE.

  Only for Osgood's sustaining arm, Shultz would have collapsedcompletely. Ned helped him to a chair, where he sat staring in dumbamazement and doubt at Roy Hooker. It was a marvel of marvels, a miraclebeyond his understanding.

  "I'm dreaming," he thought. "It can't be true."

  But Roy was there. Roy was speaking. Shultz heard him say:

  "You look to be in worse condition than I am, old fellow. You're allbroken up."

  Shultz was broken up indeed. Not a sound did he make, but he covered hisface with his hands, and tears began trickling through his fingers. Thenhe felt some one touching him gently, reassuringly, and heard the huskyvoice of Professor Richardson, the man he had scorned and sneered at,saying gently, almost tenderly:

  "There, there, my boy. It's all right. You made a mistake, as we all dosometimes, but you've been punished more than enough. I am sure no onecould wish you to receive further punishment."

  Then Hooker spoke again:

  "Why, he wasn't to blame any more than I was--not as much. I started it.I lost my head and called him nasty names and tried to hit him. I'm theone who is really to blame for everything."

  Somehow this made Charley's tears flow the faster. He did not sob, hedid not speak, but he sat there with a great feeling of gratitude in hisheart and a yearning to say something to Roy Hooker which he knew henever could say.

  "We were all to blame," asserted Ned. "No one fellow should try to takeit on himself; I'm dead certain other chaps in the bunch will agree tothat."

  "It will be a lesson to you all," said the old professor. "Mrs. Hooker,I congratulate you that your son is again in his normal mind andapparently not much the worse for his experience. It has been a tryingtime for us all, and we should be thankful indeed that it has turned outso well."

  Through his tear-wet eyelashes Shultz was looking at Roy.

  "I--I don't understand," he whispered. "I saw him fall into the oldquarry."

  "But you didn't wait to see how far he fell," said Ned. "I looked.Perhaps twenty feet below the brink over which he ran, I saw him lyingon a wide projecting shelf of rock. He was stunned, and he lay perfectlystill, without answering when I called to him. I knew I must get him outsomehow, and in a minute or two I thought that I might find a rope inone of the tool houses of the new quarry. I ran around there as fast asI could, broke into one of those little shanties, found a rope andhurried back. Making one end of the rope fast, I lowered myself to theshelf on which Roy still lay. He was just coming to his senses, and whenhe saw me he spoke. Of course, he had no idea where he was or how hecame to be there, for he could remember nothing that happened after hishead struck the mantelpiece in my room."

  "And I can't remember now," put in Hooker. "It's all a blank."

  "When he had recovered and seemed to be pretty strong," Osgoodcontinued, "I tied the rope about his body beneath his arms. Then Iclimbed back out of the quarry and succeeded in pulling him up, almostinch by inch. He could help me some by grasping the rough places in theface of the rock and by getting a few footholds now and then. As soon ashe was safely out, we hoofed it for town."

  "It's likely," said Professor Richardson, "that Roy struck his head whenhe fell, and that shock restored his lost memory."

  "And I've got my boy again," said Mrs. Hooker, embracing her son andkissing him. "That's enough. I am satisfied and happy."

  "I don't think anybody should kick up a big muss over this affair," saidRoy's father. "Now when I was a boy, I got into some scrapes myself. Iguess most men are too apt to forget the fool things they did when theywere youngsters."

  "That is very true," agreed the professor. "Maturity cuts us off fromtrue sympathy with boyhood and youth, and we are almost certain tobecome too exacting and too harsh toward lads who invariably findexperience the best teacher. I have tried not to forget this myself, butI presume I am like others, in a measure, at least."

  "Say," broke in Mr. Hooker suddenly, "while we're chinning here, we'veforgotten something. We've forgotten there are parties of searchers outlooking for Roy this minute. It was agreed that the Methodist bellshould be rung when he was found. I think I'd better see about it thatthat bell rings."

  "Yes," nodded Professor Richardson, "and we've forgotten something elseas well. Charley has a sprained ankle, and I fear it is badly hurt, eventhough he managed to get around on it for a long time after it wasinjured. He should have the attention of a doctor as soon as possible."

  "Sure thing," said Mr. Hooker. "I'll send Dr. Grindle here right away.I'll have to pass his house on the way to tell them to ring the bell."

  Finding his hat, he hurried from the house, and it was not long beforethe doctor appeared.

  While the ankle was being bathed and bandaged, the church bell flungforth to the scattering band of searchers the message that the one theysought was found. Once before on that night Charley had listened to thenotes of that bell and trembled with terror. He trembled again, but itwas with great joy, and in the midst of good resolutions, which, thoughunspoken then, he silently vowed should be faithfully remembered andfaithfully kept.