Dick in the Desert Part 3

After understanding that words were useless, and knowing full well he could not lift unaided such a weight onto the horse's back, he crouched by his father's side in helpless grief.

Never before had he known what it was to be afraid, however far he might be from others of his kind; but now, as he listened to the meaningless words, or the piteous moans, terror took possession of him, and the soft sighing of the gentle wind sounded in his ears like a menace.

The horse strayed here and there seeking food, but he gave no heed.

Such garments as his mother had given him, d.i.c.k spread over the sufferer; and that done there was nothing for him save to wait.

It seemed to the anxious boy as if the night would never end. Now and then he rose to his feet, scanning the eastern sky in the hope of seeing some signs of coming dawn; but the light of the stars had not faded, and he knew the morning was yet far away.

Finally, when it seemed to him as if he could no longer remain idle listening to a strong man's childish prattle, the eastern heavens were lighted by a dull glow, which increased steadily until he could see the horse feeding on the dry bunch-gra.s.s an hundred yards away, and his long vigil was nearly at an end.

His father called for water from time to time, and d.i.c.k had given him to drink from the canteen till no more than a cupful remained.

Now he asked again, but in a voice which sounded more familiar; and a great hope sprang up in the boy's heart as he said,--

"There's only a little left, you poor old man, and we can't get more this side the camp. Shall I give it to you now?"

"Let me moisten my lips, d.i.c.k dear. They are parched, and my tongue is swollen until it seems ready to burst."

d.i.c.k handed him the canteen; and his father drank sparingly, in marked contrast to his greedy swallowing of a few moments previous.

"It tastes sweet, my boy; and when we are at the camp I'll need only to look at the brook in order to get relief. Are you soon going for the horse?"

"I went, an' have got back, daddy dear. You've been talking mighty queer--on account of the wound, I suppose."

"How long have you been with me, child?"

"I must have got here before midnight, and the morning is just coming now."

"You're a good boy, d.i.c.k."

"That's what mother said before I left, and between the two of you I'm afraid you'll make me out way beyond what I deserve. We must get back as soon as we can, you poor old man; for she'll be crying her eyes sore with thinking we've both knocked under. Will we have a try at getting on horseback?"

"Yes; and I reckon it can be done. Lead the beast up here, and then help me on my feet--I've grown as weak as a baby, d.i.c.k."

"And I don't wonder at it. According to the looks of this sage-brush you must have lost half of all the blood you had at this time yesterday."

Now that his father was conscious once more, all d.i.c.k's reasonless terror fled, and again he was the manly fellow he had always shown himself to be.

The horse was led to Mr. Stevens's side; and d.i.c.k raised the nearly powerless body until, at the expense of most severe pain, but without sign of it by even so much as a groan, his father stood on the uninjured limb.

Fortunately the horse was too weary to make much protest at what followed; with a restive steed it would have been impossible for the boy to half lift, half push his father up until he was seated on the bag that served as saddle.

"How is it now, you poor old man? Can you hold on there a couple of hours?"

"I must, my boy; and if it so be I show signs of losing my reason again, you must contrive to lash me here, for unless this wound is attended to in better shape than it is just now, I'll go under."

"For mother's sake you must keep a good grip on yourself. It'll come tough, I know; but once we're in camp you shall live on the fat of the land."

d.i.c.k took up his father's rifle,--his own he had left in the wagon when he went after the horse,--and, leading the animal by the bridle, marched on, glancing back every few seconds to learn how the rider was faring.

Although he struggled to repress any evidence of pain, Mr. Stevens could not prevent the agony from being apparent on his face; and d.i.c.k, who had neither eaten nor slept during the past twenty-four hours, did all a boy could have done to cheer the sufferer, without thought of his own necessities.

"We'll soon be in camp, daddy, when you're to have everything you need," he said from time to time; and then, fancying this was not sufficient encouragement, he finally added, "you know I'm going over to Antelope Spring to get some doctor's stuff as soon as I've found game enough to keep the camp supplied while I'm away."

"Antelope Spring!" Mr. Stevens cried, aroused from his suffering for an instant by the bold a.s.sertion. "You shall never do it, d.i.c.k, not if I had twenty wounds! It's as much as a man's life is worth to cross the desert on foot, and these horses of ours are worse than none at all."

"By the time we've been in camp a couple of weeks where the feed is good, they'll pick up in great shape, and be fit to haul the old wagon home. Won't it be prime to see the town once more? And there'll be no more hunting 'round for a place where we can get a livin' easy, eh, daddy?"

"No, d.i.c.key; once we're there we'll stay, and I'm going to turn over a new leaf if my life is spared. I'll do more work and less loafing. But you're not to cross the desert alone, my boy."

"It may be travellers will come our way, an' I can go with them," d.i.c.k replied, taking good care not to make any promises; for he understood from what his mother had said that it would be absolutely necessary that aid should be had from the nearest settlement.

Fortunately, as it then seemed to the boy, the pain which his father was enduring prevented him from dwelling upon the subject; and as d.i.c.k trudged on, trying to force the horse into a more rapid gait, he turned over in his mind all he had heard regarding such a journey.

There were many times when it seemed certain Mr. Stevens must succ.u.mb to the suffering caused by the wound; but he contrived to "keep a good grip" on himself, as d.i.c.k had suggested, and after what seemed the longest and most painful journey the boy had ever experienced, the two came upon landmarks which told they were nearing the encampment.

His father was ghastly pale. The big drops of sweat on his forehead told of intense pain; and, in order to revive his courage yet a little longer, d.i.c.k shouted loudly to warn the dear ones who were waiting.

"They'll soon come running to meet us; and you must put on a bold front, daddy, else mother will think you're near dead. Hold hard a little while longer, and then we'll have you in the wagon, where all hands of us can doctor you in great shape."

It is more than probable that, had he been alone, with no one to cheer him, Mr. Stevens might never have been able to endure the agony which must have been his. Thanks to d.i.c.k's cheering words, however, he not only kept his seat, but remained conscious until his wife and son lifted him from the horse to the bed hastily prepared in the vehicle.

Then nature a.s.serted herself; and he speedily sank into unconsciousness accompanied by delirium, as when d.i.c.k had watched by his side.

"He was just that way all night, and it frightened me, mother. What can we do for him?"

"I don't know, d.i.c.k dear; indeed I don't. Unless he can have proper attention death must soon come, and I am ignorant of such nursing as he needs. If we were only where we could call in a doctor!"

"Wouldn't it do almost as well if we had medicine for him?"

"Perhaps so; but if we could get such things it would also be possible to at least find out what we should do."

"The horses wouldn't pull us across the desert until after they've rested a spell," d.i.c.k said half to himself.

"And even if they could, we must have food."

"See here, mother; you fix up daddy's leg the best you know how, and I'll look around for something that'll fill the pot. There are rabbits here in plenty, though it's mighty hard luck when you have to waste a cartridge on each one. I'll have enough in the way of meat by the time you've washed the wound. I've heard the poor old man himself say that plenty of cool water was needed on a bullet-hole."

Mrs. Stevens could not be hopeful under the circ.u.mstances, for she knew better than did d.i.c.k how slight was the chance that the injured man could live where it was impossible to care properly for the wound; but she would not deprive the boy of hope, and turned to do as he suggested.

Although weary and footsore, d.i.c.k did not spend many moments in camp.

He waited only long enough to get his rifle and ammunition, and then trudged off; for meat must be had, even at the expense of cartridges, both for the wounded man and the remainder of the family.

An hour later d.i.c.k returned with two rabbits; and when these had been made ready for cooking, he clambered into the wagon to see his father.

The invalid looked more comfortable, even though nothing had been done for his relief save to cleanse the wound, and dress it in such fashion as was possible; but he was still in the delirium, and after kissing the pale forehead, d.i.c.k went to where his mother was making ready for the long-delayed meal.