Ralph Gurney's Oil Speculation Part 21

After an instant's silence, during which it seemed to each boy that he could hear the pulsations of his own heart, Ralph said in a hard, unnatural voice, which no one would have recognized as his:

"He is not dead, for I can feel his heart beat feebly. One of you go for a physician, while the others help me carry him to the house."

"You take my horses, and drive first to Sawyer and then to Bradford for three or four of the best doctors you can find, and drive faster than you ever drove before," said Bob to Jim.

The latter, finding actual relief in having something definite to do, started off at full speed towards the farm-house, while Ralph began to make a rude kind of a litter.

Two fence-rails with limbs of trees laid across them, the whole covered by the coats and vests of the boys, was the best that could be improvised in a short time, and on this George was laid as tenderly as possible.

It seemed to all the boys as if he must be reviving somewhat, for they fancied they could see him breathe as they moved him, and Bob was certain he had lifted one of his hands as if to touch his head.

It was a mournful procession they formed as they moved slowly towards the farm-house, Ralph and Bob carrying the litter, while d.i.c.k stood ready to help them whenever he might be needed.

At the fence they were met by both Mr. and Mrs. Simpson, who had, of course, learned the sad news from Jim, and had hurried out with almost as much sorrow in their hearts as if he had been a son of theirs, for they had learned to love George even before he had been the means of saving their homestead to them.

Thanks to the help which the old people were able to give, the wounded boy was carried much more quickly and easily along, and in a short time, which seemed very long to the anxious ones, he was lying on a bed in the farm-house.

Every effort was made to revive him as soon as he was placed in a comfortable position on the bed in the room, sweet-scented with herbs, and with such success that in a short time there was a movement of the eyelids, followed by a low moan which, though piteous, was welcomed by the boys gladly, for it told of life.

From the time they had found him stricken down by some murderous hand, Ralph had noticed that George still held tightly clutched in his left hand a piece of paper.

He had hoped from the first that it might afford some clue to the murderous a.s.sailants, and had tried to remove it, but without success.

Now, however, when it seemed as if consciousness was returning, the hands unclasped from what had probably been a clutch at those who had attacked him, and the paper fell to the floor.

The first physician whom Jim had found entered at this moment, and, picking the paper up, Ralph held it until he should hear the medical man's decision.

He was disappointed in getting this very speedily, however, for the physician began a long and careful examination of the injured boy, in which he was a.s.sisted by the second doctor, who arrived ten minutes later.

George was in good hands now, and since they could do nothing to aid him, Ralph beckoned to Bob to leave the room, for he was anxious to learn what was contained in the paper, and wished that some one should share the secret with him.

"This is what George had in his hand when we found him," he said, when they were out of the house, "and I think it will, perhaps, explain who it was who tried to murder him."

Bob stood breathlessly waiting for Ralph to open the paper which was crumpled tightly up in that almost death clutch, and as he saw it, he uttered a cry of surprise and anger.

It was a fragment of the description of the wood-lot which had been found in the carriage when the thieves left it.

"Those men have done this," cried Bob, as he clenched his hands in impotent rage--"the ones whom George would not help catch after they had stolen his team. They knew he had this paper, and when they saw him, they either tried simply to get possession of it, George resisting, or at the first attempted to kill him."

"They can't be very far from here," said Ralph, as if wondering what other crime they would attempt to commit before they left.

"No, and they shan't get very far, either. I'll send d.i.c.k over to Sawyer for the officers, and if it is possible, we'll have those fellows where they can't do any more mischief."

d.i.c.k was only too willing to go when he heard what Bob had to tell him, and in the team he had driven over in he started at nearly as rapid a pace as Jim had.

Very shortly after he had gone, Jim returned. The first physician was from Bradford, and he had met him on the road, while the second he had found in Sawyer, having gone there to visit a patient. Both were said to be very skillful, and Jim had sensibly concluded that there was no necessity of getting any more.

To him the boys told of the discovery they had made regarding the sc.r.a.p of paper, and had they followed his advice, they would have started in search of the villains then and there, without waiting the tardy movements of the officers.

But both Ralph and Bob thought their place just then was with their friend, rather than searching for those who had a.s.saulted him, and they persuaded d.i.c.k to forego his idea of making a personal search for the men.

It was not long that the boys were in suspense as to the report of the physicians, for hardly had they finished discussing the discovery they had made as to who had done the cruel deed, when one of the medical gentlemen came from George's room.

Unless, he said, there were internal injuries, of which they were then unable to learn, George's condition was not one of imminent danger. That he had been severely injured there could be no doubt; but there was every reason to believe that he would recover, unless some more serious wound than those already found had been given.

He had not recovered consciousness yet, and there was hardly any chance that he would for some time, while the physician barely intimated that it was possible, owing to the wounds on his head, that he might never fully recover his mental powers.

It was just such a report as medical men often make--one which leaves the anxious ones in quite as much suspense as before, and neither Ralph nor Bob was just certain whether it was favorable to their friend or not.

CHAPTER XXIII.

THE TOWN ORDINANCE.

The news which d.i.c.k carried to Sawyer was sufficient to create a great excitement in that naturally quiet little town. In addition to what looked like an attempted murder, was the fact that George Harnett, whom they had all respected before the conflagration, and admired after it, was the intended victim.

There was no need for d.i.c.k to urge that officers be sent to try to effect the capture of the scoundrels, for almost before he had finished telling the story, a large party of citizens started in search of the men, determined that they should answer for their crime.

Therefore, when d.i.c.k returned, it was with so large a following that the physicians rushed out in the greatest haste to insist on their keeping at a respectful distance from the house, lest the noise might affect their patient.

Bob and his partners were anxious to join in the search, and urged Ralph to accompany them, since he could do no good to George by remaining; but he refused to leave his friend, even though he could not aid him, and the party started without him, a look of determination on their faces that boded no good to the professed oil prospectors in case they should be caught.

During all of that night Ralph remained with George, listening to his delirious ravings, as he supposed he was still battling for his life with the men, and just at daybreak Bob returned alone. The search had been even more successful than any of the party had dared to hope for when they set out, for the men had been captured in the woods about four miles from the place where the a.s.sault had been made and in the pocket of one of them was the paper from which one corner had been left in George's hand.

They had evidently believed that they would be securely hidden in the woods, for they had built a camp, and were in it asleep when they were found.

Bob had been one of the first to rush in upon them, and, seeing him, the men had shown fight; but the sight of the crowd behind him prevented any serious demonstrations, and after that their only fear had been that some one would attempt to do them an injury, a fear for which, at one time, it seemed as if there were very good grounds.

When the prisoners had been carried back to Sawyer, Bob had left the party, in order to report their success to Ralph, as well as to learn George's condition.

Until Harnett's friends could be informed of his situation, Ralph and Bob were looked upon as the only ones having a right to dictate as to what should be done for him, and Ralph was anxious to have the course they should pursue decided. With this in view, he had a long discussion with Bob as to what should be done, and the result of it was that he started at once for Bradford, to telegraph to George's mother, and to hire a nurse to take care of him.

Mrs. Harnett, George's mother, lived in Maine, and it would necessarily be quite a long time before she could reach her son, even if she got the telegram as soon as it was sent. Therefore, it was important that a nurse should be procured, at least until she could arrive, and decide what should be done with the patient.

After this was done, Ralph started to return, not wanting to be away any longer from his friend than possible, and as he neared Sawyer, he met the officer who had arrested George and Bob for violation of the town ordinance.

"Where is Mr. Hubbard?" asked the officer, after Ralph had given him all the particulars of George's condition.

"He is now at Mr. Simpson's, waiting there until I shall get back."

"Is he particularly needed there?"

"Oh, no. As for the matter of that, neither one of us will be actually needed after this forenoon, for I have just been to Bradford to engage a nurse for George until his mother shall get here. Why did you ask?"

"Well, you see before this a.s.sault was committed, it was decided to call the case one of carrying glycerine through the town, to-day. Now it has been decided, in view of the service Harnett rendered at the conflagration, to drop the case against him, and only proceed against Hubbard. But if his presence was necessary to Harnett, we could postpone it easily enough."