Part 42 (1/2)

The hotel was dark, but near by, in a smaller house, there shone a light! Tom hurried, with his last ounce of strength, to the door, and pounded.

The door was opened, and Tom almost fell in. A strong hand caught him, and steadied him while he got off his snow-shoes, and then steadied him to a chair.

”Well, who be you, and where'd you come from?” a voice asked.

Tom could see little but the warm lamplight. The room, the face of the man, were all a blur.

”Many Glacier, over Swift Current,” he gasped. ”Mills ate something last night--he's awful sick--telephone to the superintendent--or somebody--send a doctor.”

”You mean to tell me you've come over Swift Current since last night, in that snow, and then through the Chinook?”

”Yes--'phone for a doctor--quick!”

”Why didn't you 'phone from Many Glacier?”

”Wire's on the b.u.m--can't you hurry and 'phone?” Tom almost wailed.

”Easy, son, easy,” the voice steadied him. ”n.o.body can start back now till mornin'. I want to get this right. I can hardly believe it.”

”Oh, you _got_ to believe it!” Tom cried.

The man rose and began to work at the stove. Presently he brought Tom a big cup of hot coffee, and a plate of food, and stood by while he drank and ate.

As the hot coffee and the food began to revive him, Tom told the whole story over again, more calmly, and the caretaker listened, his eyes big.

”Well, son,” he said, ”you're all to the mustard. Now, if you're able, we'll go 'phone.”

He led the way, and Tom repeated his story to the Park superintendent's office.

”Be ready to start back at daylight,” a voice said. ”If the Chinook's cleared open water enough for the launch to get up the lake, we'll pick you up where you are. Otherwise, meet us at the fork of the east and west trail at the head of the lake an hour after sunrise--that is, if you are up to going back with us.”

”I'll be there!” Tom said.

His new friend now took him back into the warm, lighted room, made him undress and give himself a good rub, and then put him to bed on a couch in the corner.

”If you're goin' back over that trail to-morrow,” he said, ”you'll need all the sleep you can get to-night.”

”I guess you're right,” Tom answered, as he fell wearily, helplessly, upon the soft spring, and almost immediately felt his eyelids close of their own accord. That was the last he remembered till a hand on his shoulder was shaking him,--it seemed about five minutes later.

CHAPTER x.x.x--Tom Gets Back with the Doctor, and Mills Pulls Through--Then the Scouts Have To Leave for Home

”Time to get up,” said the voice of the owner of the hand.

Tom opened his eyes. The room was still lighted by a lamp, but something told him it was morning, perhaps the gray light at the window. He rose stiffly, and helped his host get breakfast. Going out, he found the Chinook wind had pa.s.sed, but it had been blowing, apparently, a good while, for the lake was open water all the way insh.o.r.e now, except for a fringe of ice cakes piled up like ragged surf along the eastern side.

”The lake hadn't frozen yet very far out, anyhow,” the caretaker said.

”But the Chinook's sure taken the snow down!”

It had. As if by magic, the eight or ten feet of snow that yesterday had covered everything except the trees was reduced to less than two. The air, too, while it had the sting of winter again, was not bitterly cold--just a nice winter temperature.