CHAPTER IV
THE WRECK AND THE AVIATOR
For some moments all was commotion. The appearance of the aeroplane inthat out-of-the-way place and at such a time had been so unexpected asto create no little confusion, but when it plunged to earth almost inthe very midst of the camping Scouts, there was general panic,accompanied by a few screams of fright.
Every boy, as well as the doctor and the two instructors, ran for coveras the warning was sounded, but few of them found a satisfactory placebefore the aeroplane struck. Luckily nobody was hit, and soon theygathered around the wreck in true Boy Scout readiness to help theinjured.
Fortunately the aviator had not been caught under the wreckage. He hadmanaged to jump clear of his machine before it struck the earth, so thathis body was not mangled. But he lay still as death, and there waslittle doubt in the minds of the campers that the fall had been fatal.
Dr. Byrd was soon kneeling over the unconscious form and examining itfor signs of life. Two of the boys pulled burning brands from the fireand held them close to afford him light. The examination occupiedseveral minutes, and finally the doctor announced:
"He's alive, but he's got some broken bones. One of you boys get somewater. Some of you make some splints, and some make a coat litter."
In a moment all was activity. Thirty boys cannot work together to greatadvantage under ordinary circumstances, but these boys were well trainedand well managed. They were organized in Patrols with Patrol Leaders,while the two instructors acted as Scout Masters. All of them, even Bad,had learned to obey orders, and the work moved along quickly.
Pickles went to the stream and got some water in a coffee pot, and Halled a company into a clump of cottonwood near by to cut some splints,while others busied themselves with the preparing of the litter.
The splints were made of small green limbs cut from some of the treesand shaved flat on two sides with the boys' strong jackknives. In ashort time Hal and his followers were back on the scene of the accident,watching proceedings eagerly and waiting for further orders. Meanwhilethe work on the litter progressed with equal rapidity. Two strong poleswere cut, trimmed and thrust through the arms of two of the boys' coats.Then the fronts were drawn around over the poles and buttoned, and thetask was finished.
Dr. Byrd was a surgeon as well as a physician and he worked rapidly. Helaid the injured man flat on his back, with head low, opened hisclothing to aid respiration, then bared the injured parts and bathedthem with water. In a few minutes the man groaned, and it was evidentthat he was in great pain. A further examination disclosed the fact thathis right leg and two ribs on his right side were broken.
Dr. Byrd did not set the leg at once. He merely straightened the limband bound it with handkerchiefs and pieces of torn garments so as tomake it firm at the broken point. Around the broken ribs he pinned awide bandage.
"You boys are now having your first lesson in the treatment of a victimof a serious accident," remarked the doctor after he had finished hiswork. "Sometime one of you may be in a position where you'll have to seta broken bone, and it will be well for you all to make note ofeverything connected with this case. First, never set a bone when theflesh around the fracture is swollen. Treat it to reduce the swelling,and then set it. This man's wounds are badly swollen because of theviolence of his fall. I have bound them so that they will not beirritated while he is being carried to Lakefarm. Now, we'll put him onthe litter and start. But first put out the fire."
The boys quickly obeyed, for they had been taught never to leave a campfire unattended in a place where there was a possibility of the blazereaching woods or prairie grass. There was little danger in thisinstance, but the doctor insisted on following the rule. Water wascarried in pails and pots and pans from the stream and poured on thefire until the last spark was gone. Then the camping utensils weregathered up and the journey toward the school was resumed.
Mr. Frankland and Mr. Porter carried the injured man, and Dr. Byrdwalked beside the litter and kept watch over the patient. The latter hadsaid little thus far, for the doctor had instructed him to lie still andnot try to tell his story, as he evidently wished to do.
The aviator was about thirty years old, and one look into his pain-drawnface was enough to inspire confidence and deep sympathy. He was notparticularly handsome but he looked pleasant and straightforward. Hisbody seemed well-knit and powerful.
"I'll give you boys a half holiday to-morrow morning," announced thedoctor as they started up the canyon toward Flat Head Pass. "You may comeback here and get the wreck of the airship and bring it back to theschool."
This announcement delighted the young Scouts, who expressed their gleevariously. The prospect of making a thorough examination of an aeroplanewith such a history as this, was enough to excite their imaginations.
As they proceeded, the doctor gave the boys further instructionsregarding the care of an injured person. He called their attention tothe manner in which the man on the stretcher was being carried in orderthat he might ride with the greatest possible care and comfort.
"Notice how Mr. Frankland and Mr. Porter are walking," he said. "Theybreak their step so that while one moves his right leg the other moveshis left and vice versa. This makes an easy pace. By walking in thismanner, Mr. Frankland and Mr. Porter carry the patient along gently andwithout jarring."
It was after ten o'clock when they arrived at the school. The aviatorwas taken into the "Hospital," put into bed and made as comfortable aspossible. The boys went to their dormitory, visited the shower baths andthen turned in.
Next morning, in spite of their late retirement, the boys were up brightand early. Several of them had dreamed of airships and awoke in themidst of various tragic situations. Hal Kenyon narrowly escaped beinghit by the wing of a falling biplane and awoke as the machine struck theground with a crash. Those who were slow at waking were pulled out ofbed by their more eager schoolmates or were driven out of slumberlandwith showers of pillows. But they were not angry in the least at thisrough awakening and made all possible haste to prepare for breakfast.
There were few servants at the "Level-Headed School." Dr. Byrd did notpermit any of the boys to wear expensive clothes, even on Sunday. Forthe week days he had selected the Boy Scout uniforms, which were wornconstantly. This uniform, in fact, was what attracted him to the BoyScout idea.
In the absence of a corps of servants, the young Scouts learned toperform many useful duties. They aired their own rooms and made theirown beds, sewed on their own buttons, and, in shifts, helped the cook toprepare their meals.
So they had various "chores" to perform both before and after breakfaston the morning following their "hike" in the mountains. For an hour anda half they were busy, sandwiching their breakfast between the tidyingof the dormitory and the washing and wiping of dishes. But finally allsuch duties were done, and the boys were free to go to Mummy Canyon forthe wrecked aeroplane.
Meanwhile they had been told that the victim of the accident was notfatally injured. Aside from his broken ribs and leg he had suffered onlya severe shaking up. A thorough examination had convinced the doctorthat he would recover as soon as his broken bones could mend. Theswelling on his leg was rapidly going down, and the doctor announcedthat he would probably set the limb in the afternoon.
A team of horses was hitched to a wagon, and one of the boys got in anddrove, while the rest walked ahead or behind. Mr. Frankland accompaniedthem. The journey was uneventful and in less than an hour they were inthe canyon.
The aeroplane was so thoroughly a wreck as to require almost an expertto determine what it had been originally. It had struck on a levelgrassy spot and had torn up the sod as if to make the earth as much awreck as itself. A misshapen mass of splintered wood and bent struts andbraces was about all that the Scouts could make out.
"It's hardly worth while to take that junk back with us," said Mr.Frankland as he gazed on the sorry-looking heap. "But since we cameafter it we may as well
obey orders. Perhaps he'll want to hold afuneral and bury his dead pet."
"Who is he?" inquired Ferdinand Sharer, commonly known as "Fes" becauseof his fondness of carving or inking his initials, "F. E. S.," on allhis personal property. "What's his name?"
"I don't know," Mr. Frankland replied. "He hasn't done much talkingyet."
"Gee! such a fall as that's enough to shut anybody up," exclaimed FrankBowler.
"Yes, anybody except you," answered "Fes" wisely. "You never close yourface till after the chickens go to roost."
"I don't, eh!" began Frank; but Mr. Frankland put a stop to this sort ofdispute by saying:
"Tut, tut, boys. None of that. That isn't clever."
Several of the boys now took hold of the wreck and lifted it into thewagon. It was a strange looking sight as they carted it over the rockroad.
They arrived back at Lakefarm earlier than they had expected, but theboys were not required to return to their class work until afternoon.The wreck of the aeroplane was stored away in an empty shed, and theincident was closed pending an explanation from the injured aviator.
Hal Kenyon Disappears Page 4