The Meadow-Brook Girls in the Hills Part 24

"I can't. She is fast."

"Wait! I will be with you at once," called Harriet. "Will some one bring a rope, please?" Tommy, Margery and the guardian were scrambling down the rocks. Ja.n.u.s, having extricated himself from the litter, had picked it up and was on his way down to where Hazel had fallen by another path.

"Consarn the luck!" he grumbled. "Can't go a mile without something breaking loose. Never saw anything like it in all my born days.

Anything wrong there?"

"Yes, seriously wrong," answered Miss Elting.

"Please send the guide up here. We can't get her out without a.s.sistance," called down Harriet.

"Ja.n.u.s!" The guide stepped briskly at Miss Elting's incisive command.

He s.h.i.+nned up the tree without loss of time.

"Well, I swum!" he muttered.

Hazel's injured ankle had caught in a crotch of the tree. She was lying across one of the thick lower limbs of the tree, unconscious and with blood trickling from her face. Harriet was trying to get under her shoulders in order to lift her up somewhat and relieve the strain.

Ja.n.u.s crawled up to Jane, who sat beside the unconscious girl.

"Well, I swum!" he exclaimed.

"Do something!" exploded Jane. "Do you want us to tell you what to do?"

"No, Miss; I know."

"Pardon me. I didn't mean to be rude. Only get Hazel out of the tree.

She must have help at once. Go down and help Harriet lift her. I'll try to get her foot out of the crotch of the tree when you lift her off the limb. But be careful and don't lose your hold on her."

"If you will come here and support Hazel's shoulders I think I shall be able to do better by lifting her at the waist," suggested Harriet. "I am afraid you had better remain down there, Miss Elting," she called as the guardian made ready to climb the tree; "there isn't room for all of us. Besides, the tree might break. I don't know how strong these limbs really are. You might have one of the girls bring a blanket.

There is one on top of the tree, but we can't get it."

Tommy climbed back to the trail, throwing a blanket down. In the meantime, Jane had got down and was supporting Hazel's head and shoulders. Harriet braced herself, back and feet, against the limbs of the tree, both arms about the waist of the imprisoned, unconscious girl. Ja.n.u.s was working cautiously at the captive foot.

"Raise her a little. Whoa! Hold her there."

It was not an easy task for the two girls to follow orders in that instance, but they did, their faces growing red under the strain.

Hazel was moaning.

"Miss Elting; the smelling salts!" called Harriet.

The guardian pa.s.sed them up, Jane grasping the bottle and placing it under Hazel's nostrils.

"Lift a little more. That's enough." Ja.n.u.s was working the ankle up a little at a time. "Can you hold her?"

"Yes. Tell us when you have freed the foot, please. You will have to steady her. Hold her feet together, if possible. That will make it easier for us. We mustn't drop her."

"One more lift and--whoa! It's free!"

Harriet knew that without his saying so. A sudden weight was thrown on her arms, nearly tipping her over. Harriet's face grew red under the strain. Glancing up, she saw that the injured foot was indeed free.

"Let go, Jane, but watch her head to see that it doesn't get b.u.mped."

"You can't handle her alone, darlin'. Better let me help you,"

counseled Jane.

"Yes I can. But be ready to catch her in case anything goes wrong.

Please don't try to help her down to me, Mr. Grubb, you'll surely throw me over if you do," warned Harriet. "Miss Elting, you and the girls hold a blanket to catch her if we should let her fall."

s.p.a.ce was so limited in the tree that everyone up there was laboring under great difficulties.

"Better let me get down there," suggested Ja.n.u.s.

Harriet shook her head. She was slowly righting the now half unconscious girl, every muscle trembling under the strain she was putting upon it.

"Hooray!" cried Crazy Jane.

"I swum, but she is strong," muttered Ja.n.u.s admiringly. "I reckon----"

He did not complete what he had started to say. A warning snap told him that something was giving way.

Harriet had heard and understood. She s.h.i.+fted her weight to one foot, but the combined weight of the two was too much for the limb. It broke from under her with amazing suddenness.

"Catch us!" screamed Harriet.

Jane grabbed frantically for Harriet and her burden as they came cras.h.i.+ng down. But, instead of lending a.s.sistance, Jane pulled Harriet toward her just as the latter was reaching out one hand for a limb by which to break the fall. She missed the limb of the tree by an inch or so. Jane's effort threw her off her balance also. The three girls went cras.h.i.+ng down.

"Hold the blanket hard!" shouted Harriet. Then, with rare presence of mind, she let go of her burden. The object in doing this was that Hazel might land on the upraised blanket and thus break her fall.

Harriet reasoned that she and Jane were better able to take care of themselves than was Hazel in her half unconscious condition. Hazel reached the blanket first, but her fall was of such force that the blanket was jerked from the hands of Miss Elting and her two charges.

However, the blanket had served to break the fall of the unfortunate mountain climber.

The next instant the other two girls came tumbling down, but they fell feet first.

"Out of the way!" cried Jane.

Harriet threw herself to one side in order not to fall directly on Hazel, whom those below had had no time to get out of the path of the others. The result of Harriet's throwing herself sideways was that she fell heavily on her side. She lay still. Jane came straight down, reaching the rocks on all fours right over Hazel. The shock was a severe one, and, for the moment, Jane feared she had broken both wrists. Miss Elting dragged her aside, then drew Hazel from beneath the tree. This move was made just in time, for at that juncture something else occurred: Ja.n.u.s Grubb lost his footing and came cras.h.i.+ng down.

Ja.n.u.s landed in a heap on the gray blanket. The fall stunned him briefly. But no one gave any heed to Ja.n.u.s. Miss Elting, Tommy and Margery were working over Hazel.

"Look after Harriet," directed the guardian sharply.

"Oh, my dear, are you hurt?" begged Margery.

"I--I don't know. My side hurts. Let me lie still a little. I--I guess I shall be all right soon."

"Well, I swum!" grunted the guide, getting unsteadily to his feet. "I swum!"

Jane was sitting on the ground, a little dazed from her fall. She stood up and leaned against the tree; then, observing that Harriet's face was pale, she staggered over and sat down heavily beside her friend.

"Oh, what a mess!" she groaned. "Are you hurt, darlin'?"

"No!" Harriet sat up determinedly, but the effort gave her pain. She winced a little, but made no sound.