Chapter III: Alex Takes a Long Chance

Case sat for a long time at the side of the injured boy, doing what he could to relieve his suffering, but there was little he could do in the absence of a surgeon. The boy was in great pain and conversed only at long intervals.

"I presume the robbers have taken possession of the _Rambler_," said Case, crouching low to escape as much of the storm as possible, "and they may have carried Jule and Clay off with her, but I don't see what is keeping Alex. He should have been here a long time ago."

"They may have taken him, too," said the sufferer. "In that case we may stay here until we starve to death. If I could only walk, I'd soon get out of this!"

"What's your name, and how is it that you come to be here on the Great Divide?" Case asked abruptly. "You're a beauty, I must say!" he added with a grin.

"My name is Paul Stegman, and I'm from Chicago, as I told you before," the boy explained. "I came up here in quest of adventure, and reckon I'm getting enough of it. If I ever get back to civilization you just bet your bottom dollar I'll stay there!"

"Cheer up!" said Case, "the worst is yet to come!"

"I fail to see how it could be much worse," said Paul. "My boat is gone and, unless we can connect with the one you have, there are mountains to climb before we get out of here."

"It does look pretty dark," Case admitted, "but we'll find a way out. Suppose I go down to the river and see what's keeping Alex? The pirates haven't captured him, I hope!"

"It's pretty dark. And pretty wet, too," replied Paul, loath to lose Case's companionship for even a minute. "Perhaps he will come back after he has failed to discover the boys."

Case had his doubts about Alex returning as long as there was any prospect of finding either the boys or the _Rambler_, but he kept his thoughts to himself. It was very dark when the searchlight was for a moment turned aside, and rain was falling in torrents. The wind, too, was racing over the narrow point of land as if sent for by the Evil One.

It was a wild night for early May, and Case, sitting dejectedly at the side of Paul Stegman, could feel the rain trickling down the back of his neck in streams. It was cold too, and the teeth of both boys rattled like castanets.

"No use trying to build a fire," Case grumbled, "for what little wood there is in sight is soaking wet. I guess the _Rambler_ made one trip too many!"

There was silence for a minute and then a footfall was heard on the rocky ridge which ran through the center of the peninsula.

"Alex at last!" shouted Case, springing to his feet. "Come forward, give an account of yourself! Did you find any trace of the boys or the boat?"

But the man who appeared a moment later was not Alex. He stood for a second looking down on the boys and started to join them, swinging a pocket dark-lantern as he advanced. But Case was shy of strangers and ordered the fellow back, at the same time switching off his searchlight.

"Oh, all right!" replied the stranger. "I thought you might be in some sort o' trouble and might need help."

"We are in trouble, and do need help," Case answered, "but we mean to make sure first that you are just what you pretend to be."

"I hain't purtended to anything yet," was the reply. "If you want my pedigree, I reckon you'll have to want. I came down here lookin' for a brindle steer what strayed away from the herd an' saw your light, likewise the light from that boat anchored out there in the river. But, still, if you don't want me to butt in, I'll be joggin' along."

"Wait a minute," Case exclaimed, starting to climb the ridge, "do you say there's a boat out there in the river?"

"Come up here and see for yourself; seein' is believin', as the cat said to the mouse."

Case clambered to the top of the ridge and looked out upon the river. There were the dim lights of the _Rambler_, but the rest of the scene could not be discerned.

"The boat's there, all right!" the boy said jubilantly, hopping up and down in his excitement. "The boys will soon be here now."

Case looked into the stranger's face with a question on his lips--a question he might or might not answer.

"You didn't come to this rocky place in quest of any brindle steer," the boy ventured. "Will you tell me what you did come for?"

"Perhaps I'll do it if you'll tell me what I want to know," was the reply, "and that is this: What were you doing with that wounded boy in that nest of rocks?"

"You know the lad is wounded, then?"

"I don't suppose you could hear much in this storm, but I've walked twice around the spot where you sat," was the reply.

"Well, you didn't hear anything of any account," was Case's reply. "Up to two hours ago I didn't know there was such a kid living. According to his story, he was set upon by robbers a short distance up the river and beaten up proper."

"So!" said the other.

"We, my three chums and myself, were lying up the river, anchored, when Captain Joe--that's the bulldog--leaped into the river and brought him out, more dead than alive. The dog is on the _Rambler_ now. We boys wouldn't part with Captain Joe for his weight in gold."

The man looked thoughtfully into the boy's eyes.

"I guess," he began, but was interrupted by voices coming from the _Rambler_. The wind was now blowing a fierce gale and the words were indistinguishable, but words were not needed.

The prow lights flared up, lighting the deck of the boat as thoroughly as it was possible to do it in the dead of the night.

At the same instant the watchers caught sight of a man leaping over the railing of the boat.

"There goes one of the pirates!" shouted Case. "I wonder how many of them there are?"

"Perhaps he thinks it's just as dry in the river as it is on board the boat," the other said with a chuckle, "and I for one think he's about right. Here comes another."

When three had taken to the water there came a lull in the procession of jumpers and Case observed: "Now we'll soon be tucked up in our little beds, that is as soon as we get Paul cared for."

"Suppose the robbers return?" the stranger suggested.

"They'll have to be pretty swift in their movements if they connect with the _Rambler_," Case answered. "We've got a boat that can go some, and then some more!"

The two then descended the ridge and were soon standing where Paul had been left. The boy was still in great pain from his broken leg.

"This boy shouldn't lie here in the storm," said the stranger. "He'll take the newmonnie."

"He'll not remain here long now," replied Case, with a smile at the man's pronunciation of "pneumonia," "for we'll get him to the _Rambler_ in short order. We must get him to a surgeon."

"I thought you'd never come," groaned Paul.

"It's all right now," Case assured the boy.

"Wait until the boys come with the stretcher, and we'll have you where you can receive the care of a doctor in three jerks of a lamb's tail."

Clay soon appeared with the stretcher and the injured lad was carefully placed upon it. Then Clay turned to Case with a smile.

"Why don't you introduce me?" he asked.

Case hesitated and the stranger came forward.

"I reckon we don't either one know what to call the other," he said with a smile. "I'm Rube Stagg."

"Glad to know you, Mr. Stagg," said Clay with a laugh at the odd appearance of the man.

He was at least six feet four inches tall, lean to emaciation, with enormous hands and feet, and just about the reddest and longest head of hair that the lads had ever seen. It came far down on his shoulders and was so tossed about by the wind that it appeared to be in one great snarl.

His eyes were blue and bright, his nose blunt stub, and his head was adorned with a pair of enormous ears. His dress was of the sort usually worn by ranchmen.

"I've got a ranch over here a short distance," explained Mr. Stagg, "and you are quite welcome to use it if you feel so disposed. That boy has been exposed to the storm too long already."

"We'll have him under shelter directly," was Case's reply, "but we're a thousand times obliged to you, all the same."

"Well," Stagg replied, "if you won't use my shack, perhaps you won't object to my carrying one end of the stretcher."

"You are all right, Mr. Stagg," said Clay, heartily. "We are a little short-handed on account of leaving two boys at the boat."

"What was the ruction at the boat?" Case asked.

Clay burst into a ringing laugh.

"That was the funniest thing I ever saw!" he said as they set the stretcher down for a rest. "Alex, the little monkey, sneaked on board the _Rambler_ when an especially hard shower came on, accompanied by thunder and lightning. Captain Joe was with him, as usual, and when they came to the window which looks out on the stern deck the parrot joined the combination."

"Great combination, that!" laughed Case. "A boy full of mischief, a bulldog full of bites, and a parrot full of the old Nick! What happened then? Did the pirates take to the river as soon as they saw what they were up against?"

"No, they attempted to put up a fight," replied Clay, "and what followed was a jumble of legs, arms, parrot and bulldog. The parrot screamed and the dog got in his work on the shins of the outlaws, who had laid their weapons aside in order to dry their clothing and couldn't get them without coming in contact with the dog."

"Must have been very funny," said Case. "I should have enjoyed seeing it."

"I imagine the bandits thought the devil was after them for sure. How that parrot did scream! The racket might have been heard a mile away only for the wind and rain. How it did rain! And thunder and lightning! Say but it was fierce!"

"And where was the baby bear all this time?" Case asked. "Of course you knew that Alex adopted another bear?"

"Yes, I'm wise to the fact," answered Clay. "Well, the cub was asleep under my coat until the fireworks started, then he took a hand in the game. It certainly was comical to see that little runt trying to eat a full-sized robber."

The boys now continued their progress to the _Rambler_, and soon saw the cabin lights shining through the rain. As the lads neared the boat the great prow light was switched on, making everything as light as day. The rain was still falling in torrents, and the wind was blowing a hurricane.

In fact, the boys were obliged to stand pretty close together in order to make themselves heard at all.

"It's a wonder the boys didn't think of that prow light before," was Case's comment as they laid the stretcher down on the shore.

"It was out of kilter when I left the boat," said Clay. "What is bothering me now is how to get this boy on board the boat. I don't think we can get the boat any nearer to the land."

"We must manage it, in some way, before long, for the lad has been exposed to the storm for a long time."

"Why, of course we can get him over to the _Rambler_," cut in Case. "You have only to lift the stretcher into the rowboat, then lift it out again when we reach the _Rambler_!"

"Never thought of that!" laughed Clay. "Two heads are better than one, if one is a bit thick!"

"Anything to get me out of this storm!" groaned Paul. "I don't think I shall ever be warm again."

While the boys were getting Paul on board the _Rambler_ Stagg appeared to be very busy about the boy's head. More than once he bent over the lad, as if trying to recognize him, but the boy was too badly beaten up for that.

At last he seemed to give it up, but there was still a look of inquiry in his eyes, and Clay referred to it.

"He acts to me like he was looking for a friend," he said.

"He does act rather strangely," was Case's comment. "Still, he may be one of the curious kind."

No more was said on the subject at that time, though Clay often wondered if there could be any connection between the two, and also if Mr. Stagg was exactly what he seemed.