Chapter XI
The Rescue of Little Caleb
“Who’s going down?” asked Sim, with a vein of entreaty in his voice, for, being such a good climber, Sim would have gladly assumed that role.
“I intend to,” replied Rob, calmly, and no one disputed his right, since he occupied the position of scout leader, and could do as he pleased.
He took the torch with him, but as he would probably find a good use for both hands during the descent, Rob managed to secure the light about his person. Then, as he found occasion to make use of it, he could easily do so.
“Hold fast to the old vine, boys, whatever you do,” was his last remark as he started to slide over the brink.
Rob seemed perfectly cool. If he felt nervous at all, it was in connection with the possibility of finding poor little Caleb lying bruised and insensible far below.
The others waited impatiently. Peering over the edge, even as they gripped the end of the wild grapevine, they could follow the descent of their comrade by the aid of the light, for Rob had the battery turned on purposely.
He did not make undue haste, for Rob knew the folly of being too eager. Better consume a little more time, and make sure of results. It was bad enough to have one accident without risking another on top of it.
“There, he’s stopping to take a look below!” exclaimed Tubby, breathlessly.
Rob, while holding on with one hand, having found a brace for his feet, had indeed taken out the torch from his upper coat pocket, and was using it to pierce the darkness beneath him.
“Now he acts like he sees something!” cried Sim. “Look at him wave his hand up at us, boys! Anyway, we’ll soon know the worst. I’m hoping the little chap may not be so badly hurt.”
“Oh! I thought I heard a child give a whimper just then!” gasped Tubby.
All of them fell silent at that, for the same impression occurred to Tubby’s companions. They continued to watch Rob with anxious eyes. Yes, he had again started to let himself down, and even as they stared they saw him come to a stop. Apparently, he had found some sort of ledge, though it was covered with a species of growing bush that disguised it effectually. One thing sure, the descent continued even beyond the point where Rob had halted.
“He’s found him, as sure as anything, he has!” ejaculated Andy, his voice filled with a strange mixture of satisfaction and awe, for it yet remained to be discovered what the condition of the little fellow might turn out to be.
“Hello! up there!” called Rob, and they believed he was looking upwards at them, though none of them could be sure about this.
“Yes, what is it, Rob? Have you found him?” cried Tubby.
“Yes, I’ve got him safe,” came the reply that thrilled him. “He landed on this ledge, and was saved the balance of the drop. Luckily he dropped on a lot of stuff here that helped to break his fall. I don’t know for sure, but I believe he’s not badly hurt, only cut a little. He must have been stunned, though, for he’s only now beginning to wake up. Listen, fellows; do you think you could pull the grapevine up, and me too?”
“Easy thing, Rob,” replied Sim, promptly.
“Then take it slow, and don’t hurry, or you may brush us off,” came from the boy below. “I’ve got to use one arm holding him, you see, and that handicaps me a bit. Get busy now, boys, heave-o!”
As many as could get hold proceeded to lend a hand, even Peleg exerting himself manfully. The vine began to shorten as they tugged. Every now and then Rob would call out to them, giving further directions. Once he told them to stop, for he had a fine chance to set both feet on another small ledge, and in some fashion could change his burden to the other arm.
Presently his head appeared above the brink. Mr. Jeffords was only waiting for this.
Presently his head appeared above the brink.
“Let me take the child from you, Rob,” he said, leaning over solicitously.
When the transfer had been safely made it was no trouble to help Rob over the edge of the precipice, for such the wall of the aperture appeared to them.
“Mighty well done, I want to tell you, Rob!” said Ralph, earnestly, as he squeezed the hand of the still trembling scout leader, for the recent effort had naturally been quite a strain on the boy’s nervous system.
Rob was laughing. After it was all over he effected to make light of his achievement, as that class of boys always do, never liking to hear themselves praised.
“Oh! it was a mere trifle, Ralph, and I’m only sorry I monopolized the fun. But take the light, will you, and turn it on the boy. I want to look him over, and see what the worst is we must expect.”
The little fellow presented rather a pitiable aspect. He had received several scratches, and his face was quite bloody; besides that, his clothing was badly torn, possibly brought about through making a passage amidst thorns while lost in the woods.
“Say, he does look pretty bad, now,” admitted Tubby, seriously.
“Looks don’t count for much, Tubby,” Rob soon told him. “We can wash his face and hands, and improve his appearance a hundred per cent; if only he hasn’t any broken bones; and, so far, I don’t find anything of that kind. It’s strange how a child may fall from a fourth-story window and never seem to be hurt. Caleb hit his head, and has lain in something of a swoon for hours. Perhaps it was just as well, for if he had moved, he might have fallen the rest of the way down to the bottom of that hole. He’s just beginning to get his senses now, after all this time.”
Indeed, they could see the boy’s eyes were open, and that he seemed to be trying to understand where he was, what had happened, and who these people around him might be.
“It’s all right, Caleb,” Ralph hastened to say, soothingly. “You got lost in the woods, you remember; and then you had a nasty tumble; but we’ve found you, and mean to take you straight home to your mother and father. I’m Ralph Jeffords, you know; I’ve often talked with you at your house. So don’t worry any about it. How do you come out, Rob; is he hurt badly?”
“I’m glad to tell you that there’s really nothing serious the matter,” said the other, quickly, much to the delight of Tubby and the others. “Now that he’s come-to in earnest, I think he’ll soon be himself again. We’ll take turns carrying him; and on the way we can stop a bit at that spring we passed, for we ought to make him look more presentable before handing him over to his mother. She’d nearly have a fit if she saw his face all covered with dried blood like that.”
Mr. Jeffords insisted on carrying the child for the first stretch, but the boys would only consent on condition that he agreed to let them take turns about. In fact, even Tubby declared it would not be fair to leave him out; and that he meant to have his share of the work.
When they reached the spring mentioned by Rob they halted for a brief time. The child had by that time recovered from his stupor. He whimpered a little when Rob with a wet handkerchief started to wash his face and hands, for some of the scratches and bumps were evidently quite painful; but this task was soon finished, and the result justified the scout leader’s judgment.
“Oh! he looks all right now, for a fact,” said Sim. “I consider that we were a lucky bunch all around to find him as neatly as we did. But, then, where there’s a will there’s a way; and scouts have to learn early in their career never to give up a thing they start on.”
Ralph made no comment on hearing his cousin say this; but there was a gleam in his eye that pleased the observing Rob. The latter felt pretty certain that his task of converting the unbeliever was going to be made much easier because of the strange event of that night.
As they drew nearer the home of Caleb, the boys felt a pleasurable anticipation. Remembering the anguish of the poor mother, they could realize how she must suffer, and the thought of being able to bring her speedy relief gave them more or less satisfaction.
When they appeared at the house some of the women discovered them, and must have called out the good news; for immediately a figure came flying out of the building and straight toward the returning company. It was the frantic mother, wild to know if they had found her child, as well as the condition the little fellow was in.
Great must have been her joy when she heard Caleb calling to her, and she saw him reaching out toward her, even as he was held at the time in Tubby’s arms. Well, each one of them felt that it was worth many times the trouble they had taken, just to see the way Caleb’s mother hugged him to her heart. About that time it seemed as though Tubby, yes, and all the other fellows as well, had to turn their heads away for some reason or other, and when they came together again most of them were still violently winking.
How she tried to thank them all! When words failed her she actually kissed each one of the five boys. They would never forget that occasion; and as Rob afterwards said, it had been a great privilege to be able to bring such joy to a mother’s heart.
Not wishing to wait after they had seen the father recalled from the search by means of a messenger sent out with the glad tidings, the boys entered their car, and with Mr. Jeffords started on the homeward trip.
It seemed hard to believe that so much had been accomplished in such a short interval. Why, only two hours before they had been laughing unconcernedly over the supper table, never dreaming that a sudden emergency would arise to claim their attention. Since then they had been through an experience few fellows ever have come their way.
Rob had spoken to Peleg more than once, but he noticed that Ralph paid no attention to the farm hand. It seemed that the other could not dissuade himself from believing that Peleg must be guilty of pilfering, and on this account he would not have anything more to do with him than he could help; at least, until the mystery was cleared up.
Nevertheless, Rob was feeling more confident than ever that when the truth became known Peleg would be cleared of all suspicion; though just then he could not even guess how the other’s innocence was going to be made clear.
The boys sat down in the big sitting-room for an hour or so before thinking of going to bed. Mrs. Jeffords and the old aunty as well had to hear all the thrilling particulars of the search, and its ultimate conclusion. They also congratulated the scouts on their clever work, Mr. Jeffords describing how wonderfully Rob had followed the faint trail for several miles through the woods.
“I want to say to you, boys,” the gentleman wound up with, “that my opinion of this scout business is undergoing a remarkable change. I’ve learned some wonderful things since you’ve come among us that have opened my eyes considerably. I’m not saying anything more about it yet, but unless I miss my guess there will be another attempt at starting a scout troop in Wyoming, and this time founded on the right principles.”
Those words gave Rob great cheer. He never felt more pride in his khaki uniform and his scout badge than when Mr. Jeffords thus frankly acknowledged that he had been laboring under a false impression concerning the benefit in a community a well drilled scout troop might prove to be.
When upstairs in the big room, as Ralph was saying good-night to his four guests, he allowed his hand to pass, affectionately, though perhaps unconsciously, along Rob’s khaki coat-sleeve, the significance of the action caused the wearer to smile with genuine pleasure.
