Burr Junior Part 78

"They're saying we don't dive," said Mercer piteously.

"Not diving?" cried Lomax. "Well!"

As he spoke, he sank again, and the water closed in a swirl over his head, while, after taking a long breath, I dived under into the depths, with the water thundering in my ears, as, during what seemed to be a long s.p.a.ce of time, though less than a minute, of course, I groped and swam about till a curious sensation of confusion came over me, and, frightened now, I touched something and clung to it wildly, believing in my startled state that it was Lomax.

The next instant I was at the surface, surprised to see the old sergeant making a rush at me, as he uttered a shout. Then he seized something by me, and I knew that I had brought one of my schoolfellows to the surface.

We swam ash.o.r.e, to reach it soon after Lomax, who had borne the white, limp figure we had rescued into the dressing shed.

"Boys who can run!" shouted Mr Rebble. "Blankets, quick!"

A dozen boys dashed off, and Lomax panted,--

"You two--work him like this--gently. I'll relieve you directly."

He left the two masters rubbing and moving the boy's arms to their full extent, and pressing them to his sides, while he hurried on some clothes, and, s.h.i.+vering with horror and exhaustion, we followed his example, while, with my ears ringing, I heard Mercer gasp out,--

"Poor old d.i.c.ksee! Oh, Frank, I hope he ain't drowned."

But as, after our hurried dressing, we saw him lying there rigid and cold, it seemed as if the boy would never say another unkind word to a soul.

By this time Lomax had relieved the two masters, and with all the vigour of his strong arms he was trying to produce artificial respiration somewhat after the fas.h.i.+on that has of late been laid down as a surgical law, but apparently without avail.

The blankets had been brought, the boys, all but we few elder ones, sent back to the school, and a messenger had gone for the nearest medical man, so that nothing more could be done than was in progress.

"I'm afraid it's a hopeless case," said Mr Rebble, with a groan.

"Never say die, sir," cried Lomax. "I remember a lad of ours in my regiment was swept with his horse down the torrent below where we were fording a river away yonder in India. He seemed to be quite gone when we got him ash.o.r.e half a mile lower down, but we rubbed and worked him about for quite three hours, taking it in turns, before he gave a sign of life. But he opened his eyes at last, and next day he was 'most as well as ever. What time do you expect Doctor Browne back, sir?"

"Not till quite late to-night. And what news for him!--what a shock for them both!"

"Shock!" said Lomax. "Here, you take a turn now, Mr Hasnip; we mustn't stop for a moment."

Mr Hasnip, whose coat was off and sleeves turned up, sprang to his side and went on.

"I'll relieve you again soon, sir," said Lomax, wiping his dripping forehead. "But how was it, Mr Burr major?"

"I--I don't know," said my school-fellow, starting. "I think he suddenly remembered it was so deep, and he turned frightened, for he went under all at once and right down, and then I cried for help."

"Better have lent him a hand," said Lomax gruffly. "Well, Mr Hasnip, sir, feel him coming to?"

"No, no," said the second master dolefully. "He is dead! he is dead!"

"Not he, sir," cried Lomax roughly. "We're going to bring him round; all we've been doing has helped him, and it's a long way off three hours. Here, let's have him out in the suns.h.i.+ne, please. I believe in the sun."

The poor fellow was carried out, the two masters each taking a corner of the blanket on which he lay, Lomax and I the others.

It was quickly done, and then Lomax recommenced rubbing, working the boy's chest so as to make it contract and expand, and all the time with perspiration dropping from his brow. Mr Rebble and Mr Hasnip both relieved him, and we boys did our best to help; but the afternoon glided on, no doctor arrived, and we felt chilled and hopeless, till all at once, after a rest, Lomax had begun again apparently as fresh as ever, and to our horror he suddenly began to whistle a merry tune.

"Lomax!" cried Mr Hasnip.

"What's the matter, sir?"

"For goodness' sake--at a time like this--it is too--"

"Why, haven't I got cause to whistle, sir?" cried the sergeant merrily.

"What did I tell you? Only wanted time and plenty o' muscle."

"What! is he reviving?"

"No, sir, he's revived," said Lomax. "Look at the colour coming, and his eyelids quivering. He'll be sitting up directly. Here, you can feel his heart beating now."

Mr Rebble went down on one knee and laid his hand upon d.i.c.ksee's breast; then, jumping up again, he caught Lomax by the wrist.

"Heaven bless you for this!" he cried, and Mr Hasnip forgot his dignity as a master, and, taking off his hat, joined us boys in a hearty, "Hip!

hip! hip! hooray!" which seemed to give the finis.h.i.+ng impetus to our treatment, for d.i.c.ksee opened his eyes wide, struggled up into a sitting position, stared about him for a few moments, and then cried, in a harsh, unpleasant tone,--

"Where's my clothes?"

As he spoke, there was the sound of footsteps, and the medical man and the messenger who had been sent to bring him hurried up.

"I'm very sorry," he said. "I was right at the other end of the parish, and had to be fetched. Is this the patient?"

d.i.c.ksee had now huddled the blanket round him, and began in a whining, queer way,--

"What's been the matter? What are you all doing? Here, somebody, I want my clothes."

"No occasion to have fetched me," said the surgeon, smiling. "You've brought him round, I see. They're often like this when they've been nearly drowned. Come, squire, can you dress yourself?"

"Yes, if you'll all go away," cried d.i.c.ksee in a snarling tone. "Who's a-going to dress with you all a-staring like that?"

"Go into the shed, d.i.c.ksee," said Mr Rebble. "Can you walk?"

"Of course, I can, sir;" and he scrambled up.

"Had a long job of course," said the surgeon; and then--"He don't seem very grateful for being brought back to life. Well, gentlemen, there's little to do. Let him go to bed soon, and have a good night's rest. I don't suppose he will be much worse in the morning when I come."

So little seemed to be the matter, that, when he was dressed, d.i.c.ksee walked slowly back to the school, Mercer and I following him with Lomax.

"Rum thing," he said, "how crusty the being nearly drowned makes a lad.

Hardly worth all the trouble we took over him, eh?"

"Oh, don't talk like that, Lom!" I cried.

"But he was precious disagreeable," cried Mercer; "and after the way in which you saved his life too!"

"I didn't," I said; "it was Lom here."

"Nay, lad, you got hold of him diving, first. If it hadn't been for you, I shouldn't have had anything to rub. But I was thinking."