CHAPTER XX
FIRST AID TO THE INJURED
Dismay seized upon most of the scouts upon realizing what a disasterhad fallen upon them. Tom however was not the one to forget that he hadmade a special study of "first aid to the injured," as had also RobShaefer.
"Carry him over here, where we'll make a soft bed of the blankets, andthen we've got to see how badly he's hurt!" was what Tom called out,hurrying on ahead to arrange things.
His example seemed contagious. Boys are apt to follow a leader verymuch as sheep will a bell-wether. Everybody wanted to assist; and thefeeling of panic gave way to one of confidence. Scouts should be equalto any sudden emergency; and in that way prove the value of theireducation along the lines of usefulness.
Walter was groaning dismally, although trying his best to bear thepain. He looked as white as a sheet in the face. Tom's first act was toforce himself to appear cheerful; he knew that if all of them staredand shuddered it would have a bad effect on the injured lad.
When they had made an examination Tom and Rob agreed that one of thebones only had been broken.
"It's a painful thing, but not nearly so bad as a compound fracturewould be," Tom announced. "I think we can set it all right,temporarily, and then bind the leg up. In the meantime, Mr.Witherspoon, please make up your mind what we'd better do about gettingWalter home in a hurry, where the doctor can take charge of him."
"I hope you won't think of giving up your hike just on account of me,fellows," said the poor Walter, weakly, showing a magnanimous spirit inadversity that made his chums feel all the more admiration for him.
"Leave that to me," Mr. Witherspoon announced; "I remember seeing anold car in the yard of that house we passed some three miles back. Ifyou boys can make some sort of stretcher for carrying Walter I'll seethat he gets home to-day, if I have to accompany him, and then comeback again to you."
This cheered the stricken lad as nothing else could have done. Homejust then had a most alluring look to Walter. The woods may seem allvery delightful when a boy is perfectly well, but let sickness or anaccident put him on his back, and there is nothing like one's ownhome.
After making some preparations, Tom and Rob announced that they wereready.
"It's going to hurt you some, Walter," said the patrol leader,regretfully; "but it's got to be done, you know. Those two ends of thebone must be brought together, and after that we intend to bandage yourleg the very best we know how."
Walter shut his teeth hard together, and seemed to prepare for theworst.
"Go ahead, boys," he said, grimly; "I'll have to grin and bear it, Iguess. And I deserve all I'm getting for being so silly as to slip whenI was climbing that tree to see what was in the hole in the trunk."
He managed to stand it very bravely indeed, though the agony must havebeen intense. The other scouts heaved a sigh when they saw the amateursurgeons start to binding up the injured limb.
"That's all through with, Walter," said Tom, cheerily, "and you stoodit like a soldier, we'll all declare. Just as soon as that litter isdone you're going to be carried back to that house, if it takes everyone of us to do the job."
Josh and some of the others had been busily engaged trying to constructa suitable litter. Fortunately they had learned how this should bedone, for it is one of the duties of every Boy Scout to know this.
With the ax they cut a couple of stout poles about eight feet inlength. These were to constitute the sides, and would form the handles,each one to be in charge of a scout.
A blanket was arranged across these in such a manner that there wouldnot be the slightest danger of its slipping, after the two poles hadbeen held a certain distance apart with a couple of cross-pieces.
When finally the litter was completed it was pronounced first-class byevery one.
"I'm proud of the way you boys grapple with an emergency," said Mr.Witherspoon, enthusiastically. "You're all a credit to the organizationto which you belong. I mean that your light shall not be kept under abushel, for this is an example worthy of being spread abroad, andcopied by other scouts."
The next thing was to lift Walter to the litter, which was done withoutgiving the poor fellow much pain. He seemed so grateful for everylittle thing they did for him, and looked so pitiful lying there thattender-hearted Billy Button was observed to hurriedly rush away,pretending that he wanted to wash his hands down at the water, whenthey all knew the tears had been welling up in his eyes.
"It's going to be no easy task getting him all the way back to thathouse," said Mr. Witherspoon, "especially over such rough ground aswe've struck. Four will be needed to work at a time, and they'll haveto be relieved often, so perhaps we had better all go along save onescout, who can stay to look after the camp."
"Let Billy stay," said Josh; "he was complaining of a stone bruise onhis heel, and would be better off here than taking that six miletramp."
So it was decided that Billy Button should remain in the camp. He didnot look as if he enjoyed the prospect very much.
"No wild animals around here to bother you, Billy," Josh assured him,when they were prepared to make the start.
"You forget those dogs, I guess," Billy told him; "they must be prettymad at us for holding them up. What must I do if they take a notion tocome back and threaten to eat me up?"
"Oh! the easiest thing for you to try," Josh told him, "would be toshin up this tree here, and wait for us to rescue you. We've hung ourgrub up so nothing can get hold of it. But don't worry, Billy; thereisn't one chance in ten that the dogs'll come back this way."
It was a strange procession that left the camp. Stanley took a pictureof the litter bearers so they would have something to remember theoccurrence by; and Walter had so far recovered from the shock and theacute pain as to be able to raise his head, so that he might appear inthe scene as the object of all this excitement.
Billy saw them depart, and then turned his attention to other things.Being left in full charge of the camp he had a sense of responsibilityresting upon him, such as he had never experienced before.
It would take them perhaps two full hours going that distance with theinjured boy, because great care would be required in picking theeasiest way. Of course the return journey would be made in half thattime.
Altogether three hours might elapse, even with the best of luck, beforethe main body of scouts could be expected back; and Billy had been toldthat they would depend on him to get supper started.
It was fine to see how very careful the litter bearers were as theypushed along the back trail. One would go ahead to lead the way, and soavoid any unusually rough places as much as possible. Every boy lookedwell to his footing, since any sort of jolt, such as would accompany astumble, was apt to cause Walter unnecessary pain.
Their progress was necessarily somewhat slow. Tom said that was one ofthe times when it paid to be sure rather than to try to make speed. Andfrom the fact that not once did they cause poor Walter to give a groanit could be seen that these careful litter-bearers fulfilled their dutyfully as well as Red Cross or hospital attendants could have done.
The two hours and more had passed before they came to the house atwhich Mr. Witherspoon had remembered seeing a car. It turned out thatthe man who lived there was doing so for his health. He wanted to be ina quiet place on account of shattered nerves.
When he learned what had happened he told them he would gladly take theinjured scout to his home, and that there was room also for Mr.Witherspoon, whom he would bring back with him again.
The splendid manner in which the scouts had managed, both with regardto doing up the fractured limb, and in making that litter, excited theman's admiration; and he felt that he could not do too much for thoseself-reliant lads.
"Such work should be encouraged by every right-thinking man or woman,"he told them; "and after you've all had a cup of hot coffee, which mywife is getting ready right now, we'll be off."
Of course all of them were feeling much more cheerful, now that theyknew the hike would not hav
e to be abandoned on account of thisaccident. Some of the boys had begun to fear this would be the result.
"When I get back here from town," Mr. Witherspoon told them, "it is aptto be late, and I'll be too tired to try that three miles over roughground. So I've made arrangements to stay here over-night with our goodfriends. In the morning after breakfast I'll start off along the trailfor the camp. Of course it would be nice if several of you met me halfway there."
"We'll be only too glad to do that, sir," Josh told him; for Mr.Witherspoon had by this time firmly entrenched himself in theaffections of his boys, who believed him to be the best scout masterany troop had ever boasted, barring none.
After seeing the car start, and giving Walter a rousing send-off thatmust have done his heart good, the rest of the boys concluded to turntheir faces toward the camp.
"Three hours will seem an age to Billy Button," said Horace, who wasfeeling quite proud of the fact that he had been chosen as one of thelitter-bearers.
"Oh! he'll have plenty to do cleaning all those fish we caught thismorning, and some other odd jobs I gave him," remarked Josh,carelessly.
"Billy is inclined to be timid," Felix observed, loftily; "and it's agood thing, for him to be left alone once in a while. Nothing likemaking a scout feel he's just got to depend on himself for things."
The three miles was soon covered by the returning eight scouts.
"I can see smoke ahead!" announced Josh presently.
"Yes, and there's the pond shining in the light of the sun," addedFelix.
"Isn't that our chum, Billy, waving his hands to us?" asked George."Looks as if he wanted us to hurry up some. I wonder what's happenednow?"
"Oh! he's only anxious for us to join him," said Carl; "perhaps he madea mistake in the time we were to be back, and he's gone and cooked allthe fish."
It was soon seen, however, that the guardian of the camp had a goodreason for his excitement. His face bore a troubled expression, itstruck Tom, when he drew near the camp.
"Anything gone wrong here Billy?" he asked.
"I should say there had, Tom!" he burst out with. "Why, would youbelieve it, some miserable tramps raided the camp, and got away withmost of our stuff!"