CHAPTER XVIII
A CRY OF FIRE
Jerry looked sharply at Ned. The same thought was in the minds ofboth--would they have money enough to pay the doctor, in case it shouldbe found that Bob was badly hurt, and needed a complicated operation?
Then Jerry smiled. Of course, even though the skill of the celebratedsurgeon was required, he would not have to be paid at once. And Bob’sfather was wealthy. After all, there was no need for worry, save as toBob himself.
And this was soon dispelled, for Miss Payson, which, the clerk said,was the name of the doctor’s head nurse, soon came down to relieve theanxiety of the boys.
“How’s Bob?” Jerry asked her impulsively.
“All right,” she answered with a smile. “He has only a scalp wound.”
“Then his skull isn’t fractured?” asked Andy, excitedly.
“Bless your heart, no! The doctor will soon have him very comfortable,and then I’ll stay with him to-night.”
“Oh, but we can’t think of letting you do that!” cried Ned.
“Indeed!” and Miss Payson elevated her eyebrows, and smiled at theeager lad. “I fancy you’ll have to,” she said. “Dr. Wright isn’t in thehabit of having his orders disobeyed, and he has told me to look afterthe patient to-night.”
“Oh, but that’s too bad!” burst out Jerry. “Just when you are on yourvacation, too.”
“Oh, well, it doesn’t so much matter,” said the nurse, genially. “Aslong as we have taken the case we will see it through. That’s Dr.Wright’s way.”
“Is it--is it serious?” asked Andy.
“Oh, not at all. You boys can stand harder bumps on the head than youimagine. If concussion doesn’t develop your friend will be up and aboutin a few days.”
“That’s good,” returned Jerry, for though there was no special need forhaste, still he wanted to get in touch with Professor Snodgrass as soonas possible.
“Now I must go back,” said the nurse. “I just came down to relieve youranxiety.”
“Thank you,” rejoined Jerry.
“Say, you fellows are in luck,” the clerk informed them when MissPayson was gone. “You’ve got a combination, in that nurse and doctor,that many a millionaire would be glad to have.”
“Yes?” questioned Ned.
“Surest thing you know,” went on the hotel man. “Dr. Wright is aspecialist whom even European physicians are glad to consult.”
“Well, as long as we had to have someone, it might as well be thebest,” said Jerry. “Bob’s father can afford it, at any rate.”
“Maybe he won’t charge you so much, seeing he is on his vacation,”suggested Andy.
“He’ll probably charge more,” declared the clerk. “Say, he earns moreby one operation than I do in a year.”
“But look how long it took him to study and qualify for the work hedoes,” suggested Ned. “Is he only a specialist on injuries to the head?”
“That’s what he takes up most,” the clerk informed the boys, “though ofcourse he must know about all kinds of doctoring.”
Jerry and his chums decided to put up at the hotel for the night, sinceit could not be told how long they would have to remain.
When they had been assigned to their rooms, and had seen to the puttingaway of the auto in a garage connected with the hotel, they sat in thelobby, waiting for Miss Payson to tell them how Bob was progressing.
They soon received good news. The nurse approached them with a smilingface, and said:
“He’s conscious now.”
“May we see him?” asked impulsive Andy.
“Oh, no, indeed! Not until morning,” was her quick answer. “He needsrest and quiet. He had a bad fall, but not a serious one. He will belame and sore for a day or two. I’ll look after him.”
“Tell him we’re here, so he won’t worry,” suggested Jerry, and thenurse promised.
“Well, boys, it isn’t as bad as I thought it would be,” said Dr. Wrighta little later, when he had laid aside his sick-room habiliments, andjoined them in the lobby. “It’s only a big cut. Let me see, I don’tbelieve you told me who he is.”
“His name is Bob Baker,” said Jerry, “and if you will send your bill tohis father I know----”
“Tut! Tut!” interrupted the physician with a laugh. “This is no timeto talk about bills. I am only too glad that I was able to serve youin the emergency. Any doctor would be. I was getting a bit out ofpractice, anyhow. I haven’t had a patient in nearly a week,” and helaughed genially.
Miss Payson remained with Bob all night, though he needed littleattention, for he slept heavily. In the morning he was much improved;but Dr. Wright said he must not be moved for at least two days, oruntil all danger of brain concussion was passed.
“Did I get that lizard?” asked the stout lad when, in due time, he wasallowed to sit up in bed and receive his chums.
“We didn’t stop to look,” replied Jerry, with a laugh.
“Too bad,” said Bob slowly. “It might have been just what ProfessorSnodgrass was looking for. I say, how long before we’re going on withthe trip?”
“Oh, you’ll soon be able to travel,” said Miss Payson with a smile.“You boys are the most wonderful creatures in the world. You get knocksthat would almost kill a grown person, and you come up smiling everytime. I wish I were a boy.”
“I wish so, too!” exclaimed Bob with enthusiasm, for he and his chumshad taken a great liking to the young and pretty nurse. She told themshe had been with Dr. Wright for some time, and, when he found heneeded a vacation he insisted on taking her with him, in addition tohis sister and a man servant.
“I guess he must be pretty rich,” said Bob, when he was alone with hischums. “Dad will have a steep bill on my account.”
“Don’t worry,” advised Ned.
“I’m not,” laughed the stout lad. “Dad is able to meet it, and I guesshe thinks I’m worth it--at least I hope so.”
Jerry was glad _his_ mother did not have a heavy doctor’s bill to meet,for, in the present state of Mrs. Hopkins’s finances, it would haveembarrassed her very much.
“But if I can only get back that clay land we’ll be all right,” saidJerry.
He had spoken casually of the new medicated clay put out by theUniversal Plaster Company, and Dr. Wright had heard him.
“That certainly is wonderful stuff!” said the celebrated physician. “Ihave tried it on some of my cases. It is a wonder no one ever thoughtbefore of using it. It works like magic. There is a fortune in it forthe promoters.”
Jerry did not tell the doctor that the clay came from land which hadonce been owned by Mrs. Hopkins.
Bob was well enough, on the third day, to be up, and two days laterpermission was given to him to travel, if too great a speed was notmaintained.
“You must go a bit slow with him at first,” Dr. Wright informed theboys. “He is out of all danger, however, and I wish you good luck onthe rest of your trip. I have heard of Professor Snodgrass. He is awonderful scientist in his line.”
“Are you going to remain here long?” asked Jerry.
“Yes, I shall stay until I get thoroughly rested. It is a quiet place,just what I need, and I don’t imagine I shall have any more emergencycalls,” and the great doctor smiled.
He little realized, nor did the boys, how soon they would have need ofhis services again.
Bearing in mind the injunction of the physician as to speed, Jerry didnot try to make fast time in the auto, once they were under way again.They had said good-bye to Dr. Wright and his friends at the hotel, andagain were headed toward the mountains. Two days more of leisurelytravel would bring them to Silver River, where they expected to taketo the motor boat and in it sail up Lake Mogan to where ProfessorSnodgrass was camping, and looking for the two-tailed lizard.
Without further incident, or accident, they came, one evening, to thetown of Waydell, at the head of the river. It was to this place theyhad shipped the boat, and they had received, en route, a postal fromthe m
an they had engaged to put it in the water for them, the postalstating that the craft had arrived safely, and would be waiting forthem.
“Let’s go down and have a look at her,” suggested Jerry, after theirsupper at the hotel, where they arranged to leave their auto until theycame cruising back.
The _Scud_ was in the boathouse, taking up considerable of theavailable space, for the boys’ new craft was a large one.
“Does she run all right?” asked Ned.
“Fine!” said the man in charge of the boathouse. “We had her out for aspin, and she passed everything on the river.”
The boys, who had adjoining rooms in the hotel, were awakened in themiddle of the night by a commotion in the street.
“What is it?” asked Ned, for Bob got up to look from the window.
“Sounds like a cry of fire,” was the answer. “It is!” exclaimed Bob, amoment later.
“Is it the hotel?” demanded Ned, leaping out of bed to join his chumJerry.
“Doesn’t seem so. They’re all running toward the river.”
A moment later they heard someone in the street ask:
“Where’s the blaze?”
“Down at Kroll’s boathouse,” was the reply. “The whole place is going!”
“Kroll’s boathouse!” cried Ned. “Come on, fellows! That’s where the_Scud_ is tied up!”