CHAPTER XX
RELATES THE CONCLUSION OF THE TRIP AND WHAT HAPPENED AT CAMP
Half an hour afterward Nelson passed along the gallery and downthe stairs into the arms of Tom, who hugged him ecstatically andstuttered his delight; and of Bob, who, if less demonstrative, showedhis pleasure none the less plainly. Mr. Merrill shook hands in a waythat brought the color into Nelson’s cheeks, and the ladies when theyappeared a few moments later were so attentive that Nelson’s blushesthreatened to become permanent. When they were seated at table only Danwas absent, and Nelson asked if he was not coming down.
“No,” answered Mr. Carey. “The fact is, your friend had a prettynarrow call. It took us all of half an hour to bring him around. Hehad swallowed about a gallon of lake water and had played himself outpretty well besides. But he’s all right now, and I’m only waiting forthe doctor to come over before I let him up. ‘Orders is orders,’ youknow. But of course you can go up and see him whenever you like. He’sasked for you once or twice already.”
Nelson wanted to go then and there, but consideration for his hosts ledhim to await the end of the meal. There were a great many questionsto answer, and he had to tell his side of the adventure from start tofinish. Then Mr. Carey and Bob began comparing notes, and pretty soonNelson had a very good idea of what had happened.
“After I got back here to the house I began to worry about you chaps,”said Mr. Carey, “and pretty soon I took the field-glasses and went downto the pier. From there I could see you pretty well, but those canoeslooked mighty small, just the same! I happened to have the glasses onthe nearest canoe when the accident happened. I saw Speede stand upand then stumble and go over. The glasses made it look so near that Iyelled like sixty. Then when I’d found the place again the canoe wasdrifting along bottom upward and there were two fellows in the water.Well, I knew they’d never make the canoe in that wind, so I shouted forMr. Merrill here and Barry, my skipper, and we had the skiff out in notime. But it was a long ways out to where you were, and I thought we’dnever get there. And when we did get alongside I thought we were toolate. Two deader-looking live men I never saw in my life! The waveswere washing all over you two, Tilford, and you seemed on the pointof sinking. But you had hold of Speede good and hard; it was all wecould do to loosen your grasp on his arm, and I guess he’ll have ablack-and-blue bracelet there for some time. Hethington and Ferris gotthere in the canoe a moment later and helped us get you two into theboat. From the looks of them I guess they’d done some tall paddling.”
“We did,” said Bob grimly. “It was Tommy who discovered you had gone.He looked around when we were pretty near land and let out a yell. Thenwe turned the canoe and started back. It was like pulling yourself upby your shoe-straps. The wind was almost on our quarter and we couldjust see that we were moving. Tommy paddled like an Indian. And allthe time he kept yelling to me to hurry up, just as though I wasn’tbreaking my back at every stroke! As it was, though, he pulled mearound several times; I was in the bow. I thought we’d never get to thecanoe; we could see it now and then over the waves; and when we did wefound you two weren’t there, and had to start off on another course.”
“Tommy was like a crazy man; kept crying that you were both drownedand that it was our fault for leaving you. And I was--was pretty wellworried myself. Then we saw Mr. Carey’s boat, though we didn’t knowthen who was in it, and we made toward it, and pretty soon we saw youtwo chaps floating around in the water like a couple of logs. And Tommywas for jumping over and swimming to you. Nel, you certainly had thepluck. If it hadn’t been for you Dan would have drowned before we couldhave turned around or Mr. Carey could have started out there.”
“But I don’t understand about Dan,” said Nelson. “He can swim like afish. I never thought that anything was the matter with him until Ilooked back and couldn’t see him.”
“Cramps,” said Mr. Carey. “He told me this morning that he couldn’tseem to move himself below the waist. He got pretty warm paddling, Isuppose, and then when he went overboard the shock was too intense. Hehad a close shave of it, and he owes his life to you, Tilford.”
“And we both owe our lives to you, sir. If you’ll excuse me I’d like togo up and see him a minute.”
“Certainly,” said Mrs. Carey. “I’ll see that cook keeps some waffleshot for you.”
“He’s in the room next to yours, further along the gallery,” said herhusband.
Nelson didn’t knock because he thought Dan might be asleep and hedidn’t want to wake him. But when he had cautiously opened the door andpeeked in he saw Dan sitting up in bed and smiling broadly at him.
“Hello, Life Saver!” called Dan.
Nelson bounded across and seized his hand.
“Dan, are you all right?” he asked eagerly. “Gee, I’m glad to see you,you old chump!”
“I’m feeling right as a trivet. What’s a trivet, anyway, Nel?”
“Oh, a thingumbob with three legs,” laughed Nelson.
“Well, I’m glad I wasn’t one of them yesterday. Two legs were all Iwanted. They ached like thunder and I couldn’t swim a stroke. Nel, yousaved my life, and----”
“Cut it out! If any one says anything more about saving lives,I’ll--I’ll hurt them!”
“I dare say it is a bore,” answered Dan soberly, “having folks talkabout it, but I want you to know that--that I’m mighty grateful, oldfellow, and that if the chance ever comes for me to even things up,why, you can count on your Uncle Daniel. It was a swell thing to do,Nel, stand by me like that, only I wasn’t worth it and you might havegot drowned yourself. That’s all. I won’t bother you with any morethanks, only--only--” Dan’s hand found Nelson’s on the coverlid andsqueezed it until Nelson winced. Then: “Where’s that fussy old doctor?”he asked. Nelson, relieved at the change of subject, laughed.
“He will be along pretty soon. If you’re all right he’s going to letyou get up. Then we can get the afternoon train back.”
“Of course I’m all right; right as a three-legged thingumbob. Say,won’t Clint be waxy? He’ll never let us out of his sight again.”
“I suppose he’ll have to be told?” said Nelson ruefully.
“I guess so; it’s up to us to tell him, Nel. Not that I want to, youknow, but--well, it’s more honest.”
“That’s so; I guess we’d better. Say, Dan, these Careys have beenmighty good. We’d ought to do something for them. Do you think wecould?”
“I’d like to, but I don’t see what we could do. We’ll have to think itover. Maybe Bob can suggest something. He’s got a heap of sense, thatchap.”
Then Mr. Carey and the doctor came in and Nelson left the room. Danwas pronounced able to travel, and at two o’clock, after thanking theladies and promising to come again when they could, they loaded theircanoes on to the steam-yacht--the overturned craft had been recoveredthe evening before--and, with Mr. Carey and Mr. Merrill accompanying,were taken over to The Weirs in time to catch the afternoon train forWarder. At the landing more good-bys were said.
“I want you boys to promise to come and visit us here some time, thisyear if you can; if not, next. And when you’re in New York look us up.Both Mrs. Carey and I will be delighted to have you. We feel a sort ofproprietary interest in you after yesterday’s little incident and don’twant to lose sight of you completely. I’ve written a line or two to Mr.Clinton, so I guess you won’t get lectured very hard. Good-by and goodluck, boys!” And Mr. Carey shook hands all around, was followed by Mr.Merrill and the skipper, and at last the train pulled out, the Fourwaving from the car steps until the crowded platform was a speck in thedistance.
“He’s a swell fellow,” said Dan, as they sought their seats. “And we’vegot to make him a present or something.”
“Good scheme,” said Bob heartily. And they talked it over most of theway up to Warder, and finally decided that a silver loving cup with asuitable inscription would be as appropriate as anything they couldafford.
“We’ll put her name on it too,” sai
d Tom.
“Mrs. Carey’s?” asked Bob. “You bet we will!”
“Sure!” said Nelson. “I’ll never forget that beef broth she fed me!”
They caught the five o’clock launch, as they had planned, and climbedthe hill to camp just as the last supper-call was blowing.
“That sounds good,” muttered Dan. “It’s like getting home.”
When they entered Poplar Hall and sought their seats at the tables itwas at once evident that the news of yesterday’s escapade had precededthem. Such a hand-clapping and cheering as burst forth was quitedisconcerting, and Nelson, at whom the most of it was directed, pouredmilk into his bowl of cereal until it overflowed and ran into his lap.After supper the Four were mobbed and made to give a public recital ofevents; but long before Bob, to whom the task of narration fell, hadfinished they were summoned to the office. After all, it wasn’t so bad.Mr. Clinton had some forcible things to say to Dan on the subject ofstanding up in a canoe during a wind, but after that he demanded thestory and became so interested that they began to take courage. Andafterward he complimented Nelson and shook hands with him.
“It was a bad business,” he said gravely, “but it’s happily over with,and there’s no use denying that you all acted in a sensible, pluckyway. I’ve had a letter from this Mr. Carey in which he begs me togo easy with you. I don’t think I should have been very hard on youanyhow. It was an accident arising from a piece of foolhardiness thatnone of you are likely to repeat. It will probably be worth all it hascost as a lesson to you. It is a good thing to learn the limitations ofa canoe. You’d better get to bed early to-night, all of you, and I’llask Doctor Smith to have a look at you, Speede, and see if you need anymedicine. Good night.”
“Good night, sir,” they chorused. And outside they heaved sighs ofrelief.
“I think,” said Dan thoughtfully, as they picked their way across thedarkening clearing toward Birch Hall, “I think it’s about up to us tosettle down and be good for a while.”