CHAPTER XII
THE THUNDER BIRD ATTACKS
Thinking that experience was the best teacher, Hawke decided todiscontinue lessons on aviation until the materials for the biplanearrived and they could begin actual work.
During the rest of the week, therefore, the boys, with the assistance ofCaptain Crawford, Dr. Rivers and the aviator, put in their timemastering some of the Boy Scout requirements.
They organized a bucket brigade, and, by several mock fire fights fittedthemselves to take care of a blaze should one occur at any time.
"That's what we've been needing at this fort for a long time," remarkedCaptain Crawford, when he saw the young fire fighters practicing. "Incase of a fire here we'd have to depend on the volunteer bunch at SilverCity, and everything would be up in smoke before they could get here."
Dr. Rivers gave the young scouts a thorough drilling in first aid to theinjured. In his laboratory, which was a large and heretofore mysteriousroom at the top of the house, he taught them many things which they didnot know about the human body and its needs in case of accident--how toconstruct an emergency stretcher, prepare splints, roll and applybandages, and stop the flow of blood from an artery by means of thetourniquet.
"I guess I'm beginning to know something," said Jerry, a little proudly,when they left the doctor's office just at dark Friday evening after aninteresting lesson.
"I got real well acquainted with that handsome skeleton," remarked Gray,who had been a little sensitive at first about approaching the uncannybony structure which Dr. Rivers called one of the "ornaments" of hisexperimenting room.
Although Herb and Tender were urged to remain at the Crawford's forsupper, the former thought it best to go on home.
"I can't be very long away from dad," he explained, "or he has a searchparty out after me."
"I didn't realize how much this Boy Scout affair was going to do foryou," observed the captain that night at the supper table, when Jerryand Fred had been relating their new accomplishments. "I was a littleskeptical at first--thought it was a waste of time--but I'm gettingpretty much interested in it now myself."
"I think it is a splendid idea," agreed Mrs. Windham, who, mother-like,was in favor of anything that safeguarded the interest and welfare ofher boy.
"And his aeroplane stunt strikes me as pretty fine," went on Jerry'sfather. "As a whole, this vacation is doing more for you boys than ayear of schooling, and--" he was interrupted by the ringing of thetelephone bell.
"Hello--Phipps, yes, this is Crawford," they heard him say. "What'sthat? Well, that's strange. Oh, I don't think it can be anythingserious. The doctor is not at the house? Gone to Silver City? Well,we'll start right out."
"What is it?" cried Mrs. Crawford, as the group at the table arose andsurrounded the captain.
"Phipps says Herb's horse came home alone, wounded in the back. He'safraid something has happened to him and Graystock. Thinks it may bethat thing that's killing the sheep--or thieving Greasers," explainedcaptain, speaking hurriedly, at the same time putting on his hat andringing for the maid.
"Tell Ike to get the horses and saddle them at once--three of them," heordered when the servant appeared. "Tell him to stop and get Carlito,and have them all here as soon as possible."
"Come on, boys--Phipps says he's just starting. He says he telephonedfor Dr. Rivers but he isn't home. What'll we do in case either of themis badly hurt?"
"We fellows ought to put our learning into practice," spoke up Fred atonce.
"Yes, we'll take our emergency kits," said Jerry.
"I doubt if you can do anything," replied the captain, as they left thehouse. "You haven't had any practical experience yet."
"We'll do anything we can for Herb," responded Jerry warmly.
"Why not get Dunk?" suggested Fred. "He was the best of the bunch, hisfather being a doctor."
"All right," agreed the captain, swinging into his saddle, just asCarlito dashed up.
"What's the matter?" he asked, breathlessly.
They told him the situation in a few words.
"I'll go right on," he exclaimed, digging his heels into the pony'sflanks.
On the way over to the Rivers' residence, the captain and the boys metDunk and Fly mounted on their horses. Mr. Phipps' telephone message forthe doctor had told them the news.
"Well, if anything's the matter," said the doctor's son, "both of themhave their Red Cross materials with them, if they're able to use them.You go on ahead," he added. "Fly and I are going to bring that stretcherwe made to-day, and some bandages and stuff. We'll be right along."
The two boys wheeled their ponies, and the rest of the party gallopedinto the darkness after Carl.
It was an unusually dark night, and very few stars relieved the denseblackness overhead. Fortunately, the riders were familiar with theirroad, or it would have been impossible for them to keep up the pace theydid.
"Carl'll be sure to find them if they're anywheres along here," saidFred, breathlessly, when they were obliged to slow up at a particularlyrough place.
They urged on their horses again, and for a time nothing was heardthrough the moonless silence of the night but the sound of hurryinghoofs and the croaking of the frogs as they vied with the monotonoussingsong of the crickets. Occasionally, from somewhere far out on theprairies, a lonesome coyote would wail dismally.
After about a half hour of riding, the party on horseback descriedthrough the darkness a glimmering light almost in the center of theroad. As they came nearer, Jerry blew his whistle.
"We're here," came the answer.
"That's Phipps." The captain breathed a sigh of relief.
"He's not badly hurt," Carlito was saying as they drew up to where theIndian and Tender Gray were bending over Herb, bandaging his arm whilethe father held the boy's hand.
"I'll be all right," faintly assured Herb. "Don't you--" but his voicetrailed off into silence, and the upraised arm grew limp.
"Here, I brought some ammonia," exclaimed Fred, springing forward, andplacing a small bottle to Herb's nostrils, while Gray and Carl rubbedhis arms and legs vigorously.
"I wish we had a stretcher," exclaimed Mr. Phipps, his voice shakingwith anxiety.
"Dunk and Fly are coming along with one," responded the captain.
"Thank heaven for that," exclaimed the rancher gratefully. "Carlsnatched some branches off of the trees coming along," he continued "andmade some splints on the run." He laid his hand affectionately on theIndian's bent shoulders.
A few moments later Dunk and Fly came up, bearing a stretcher betweenthem. Riding had been rather difficult with this clumsy load.
It was not long before Herb was comfortably stretched out on theimprovised bed, and, resuscitated by the liberal whiffs of ammonia whichFred faithfully applied, and the constant massage, he soon opened hiseyes and smiled, as a sign that he had regained consciousness.
"It's mostly jolt," said Dunk, who began applying more bandages. Whenthe arm was well bound up, he went over Herb's body carefully in searchof more injuries.
Finding none, Mr. Phipps suggested that they start for the ranch.
Carl, Dunk, Fly and Fred immediately picked up the stretcher.
"Feeling better, son?" asked the father gently as they started off, thefour boys carrying the stretcher, while those on horseback led theponies.
"Better all the time," answered Herb, trying to speak firmly. While hisvoice was not normal, it was stronger than when he first spoke.
"What happened anyway?" asked Fly of Tender Gray.
"All I can say is, it's just about like that time you got mixed up whenyou met Windy at Silver City," answered Tender. "I didn't know anythingwas wrong until I heard Herb yell, and the next minute he was thrownfrom his horse, while the critter ran off like wild."
"Didn't you see anything?" urged Fred.
"It was too dark--anyhow I didn't look for anything. I got busy withHerb," responded Gray.
"That's right," approved Mr. Phipps. "But it looks to me a
s if it wasthe same devil that's been botherin' my sheep--horse's back is cutpretty deep."
When they reached the ranch-house, Sing informed them that Dr. Rivershad telephoned, and was on his way over. They had scarcely put Herb onthe bed before the doctor arrived. After listening to a hastyexplanation, he made a thorough examination of the wounded boy.
"Well, it's just a minor fracture of the forearm," he announced finally."Nothing serious. I'll have to set it though.
"It may hurt you a little," he warned Herb, as he removed the bandagesand splints, but, though his patient did wince once or twice, he set hislips tightly, and did not emit a sound of complaint.
After it was all over, however, he sank back with a sigh of relief andexhaustion. With the aid of a sleeping potion, he was soon quietlyresting.
Mr. Phipps, though relieved by the doctor's reassurance, was greatlyagitated over the accident, and continually paced the floor in the biglibrary, his face pale and his lips set.
"I'll be over early to-morrow," the doctor told him. "It's only a greenstick break and will soon knit. The bandaging was splendidly done--Icouldn't have put those splints on better myself," he added. "By theway, did you do it?"
"The boys did," answered the rancher, with a faint smile, lookingaffectionately around the anxious group.
"You certainly did well," said the doctor heartily. "I had some doubtsabout instructing you at first, but I must admit you have profited byyour lessons wonderfully."
As there was nothing more to be done, the party from the fort preparedto start back, the doctor going ahead with his machine.
"We've got to get that confounded animal that's causing all thistrouble," exclaimed Phipps as vigorously as his shaking voice wouldpermit.
"We're goin' to get him, all right!" responded Jerry heartily.
"You bet we are," reiterated Fred, with determination, while the otherboys made similar assurances.
It was a sober party that rode slowly away, and for a long time nothingwas said.
"It's so quiet to-night it makes me think of spooks," remarked Jerry,finally breaking the silence.
"Something makes me feel queer too," said Fred.
Just then a shrill, weird inhuman shriek came from somewhere in thedirection of the mountains: "Kreee-kreee-ee," almost blood-curdling inits penetrating sharpness, cutting through the air like a keen knifeblade, and sending unpleasant shivers down the backs of all who heard.
Again and again it came, threatening, foreboding, like some evil spiritabout to swoop upon its prey.
They listened, spellbound, thrilled in every nerve. It was not fear thatseemed to clutch at their hearts and make them pound, or that struckthem silent, it was an awing sense of something supernatural, somethingnot quite real. It was as though they had suddenly caught a glimpse of ademon of the underworld.
The dread cry continued for some minutes, then gradually grew fainter,until it seemed smothered by the intervening hills.
Before any of the party gathered courage to speak, a tall figure, like afleeting shadow, glided across the path in front of them, and rapidlydisappeared into the darkness. He seemed bent on an errand and was goingtoward the northeast mountain ranges.
"It's the Indian," whispered Carl, as the form hurried into thedarkness.
"What do you suppose that noise was?" queried Jerry in a low tone.
"Was it a hawk?" asked Fly cautiously, crowding nearer to Carl.
"I've heard hawks cry and eagles scream, but never like that," returnedthe Indian, his voice growing louder.
"What was it then?" asked Fly in a natural voice, gathering courage asthe conversation progressed.
"I never heard one, of course," replied Carl slowly, "but I think thatwas the Thunder Bird."
"That's just what it was," exclaimed Dunk at once.
For some moments nobody spoke, then Carl said reflectively: "I supposethat Indian friend of ours heard it too, and is on the trail."
"You'd better look out or he'll get it before you do," commented thecaptain, who had heard of the mysterious stranger.