XXVII
THE END OF THE AIR TRAIL
The crisis for which they had been preparing during the entire aerialtrip was now a reality. Before many more minutes had passed they wouldknow that which they came to find out--whether Buddy had clung to lifeduring the long, agonizing interval, or had "gone west," as so many inhis perilous calling had done before him in a blaze of sacrifice andglory.
They were now floating on the surface of the little mountain lake in themidst of the most wonderful surroundings the human mind could imagine.Here centuries ago had been the wide vent of an active volcano and atintervals from this same opening, now so quiet and peaceful, there hadundoubtedly burst forth vast waves of molten lava accompanied bysulphurous smoke and thunderous sounds, as though nature had broken herchains and meant to reshape the whole western world.
Later on, when his mind was more at ease, Jack Ralston could in somemeasure paint the terrible picture and in his mind imagine he saw thebubbling lava, rolling down the side of the rocky mountain withfrightful havoc all along its tortuous course.
Just then, however, but one matter engaged his entire attention. Wherewas the strange hermit of Crater Lake? Why did he not show himself whenhe surely must have watched their coming and successful descent? Had hebeen able to save the life of Buddy or would they be shown a mound ofearth amidst the heaped-up rocks where the valiant young air-mail pilotlay in the sleep that knows no earthly awakening.
"Look yonder, Jack--somethin' movin' among them bushes!" Perk was sayingin his ear, for since the engine no longer kept up its roar and thepropeller had ceased functioning, it was possible for them to hearordinary sounds. "Mebbe now it might be that four-footed ole grizzlyb'ar an' I ort to get my rattler o' a machine gun in hand."
"Don't bother about that, Perk," Jack told him, "see, it's a man, andchances are we're going to meet the queer old hermit of the mountainsright now."
Even as Jack was thus quieting the fears of his chum, the object oftheir observation walked into full sight and was hastening to reach theborder of the clear-water lake close by where the only sign of a beachoccurred.
He was not a startling figure at all and seemed garbed in ordinaryclothes that had evidently been selected for long service when far awayfrom tailors and housewives. His face was bearded and his hair white buthe strode along with a swinging step that told of bodily vigor and goodhealth.
Reaching the border of the water he seemed to be giving them the "onceover," as Perk called it in his suggestive way.
"There, see, he's beckoning for us to come closer," said Jack withsomething approaching relief in his manner. "I see what looks like aclumsy boat made from the trunk of a tree drawn far up on the shore.Reckon he uses the old tub when he feels like doing a little fishing.We'll taxi in as close as the depth of the water allows and then ifnecessary we can wade the balance of the way, carrying Suzanne betweenus."
As he turned to start his motor he had one look at the white face of thespeechless girl and as long as he lived Jack would never forget thetense agony he saw stamped there. It hardly seemed as though Suzanne wasbreathing as she stared at the figure of the strange old man on theshore in whose hands as she well knew, lay the power of life and deathinsofar as her happiness was concerned. One word from him would tell thewhole tragic story.
Then the motor began to hum and with a dextrous hand Jack sent theamphibian scurrying toward the beach. Perk meanwhile snatched up a polehe always kept handy for such a purpose and thrusting it into the water,sounded the depth as they went along.
When presently Perk called out just what he had been waiting to announceso grandly "by the mark, twain," Jack shut off the engine and the plumpof the anchor immediately followed, Perk having that useful hook readyat his hand.
"You are searching for him, I take it for granted?" said the hermit, atthe same time pointing to the wreck of the plane not many yards awaywith its disconsolate looking tail in the air and its nose apparentlyburied in the mud a few feet under the surface.
"Yes, we are one of a score and more of plane parties scouring the wholeside of the Rockies," replied Jack, trying his best to keep his voicefrom breaking for the suspense had him in its grip as well as the poorgirl. "Did you manage to save him, sir--tell us--or--or was it toolate?"
He heard a low, bubbling cry, or was it a sob--at his elbow but his eyeswere riveted on the tall erect figure of the mysterious recluse. Theother was nodding his head--surely that could be reckoned a favorablesign. Jack again summoned his courage to the fore and went on to ask thecrucial question:
"This girl, sir, is the sweetheart of Buddy Warner, whose strangedisappearance has thrilled the entire nation--have pity, and relieve herdreadful suspense--is he alive?"
Another nod, and in the affirmative, accompanied by a ghost of a smile.Then came the words that would ring in Jack's ears for many a moon:
"Alive, and with a good chance for recovery, I am glad----"
"Quick! catch her, Perk!" yelled Jack as he felt the girl falling in adead faint from the reaction. The relief proved too much for thestrained condition of her nerves.
A dash of ice-cold water from the lake soon revived her and she smiledat the pair bending over her so solicitously.
"We must get her ashore without any delay," announced Jack, for he hadgreat fears lest the enraptured girl take it upon herself to jumpoverboard and without any assistance from either of her guardians manageto make land.
Perk instantly dropped into the water which came almost up to his waist.It was pretty cold, but what did that matter to one so fond of callinghimself a "tough old guy" and able to negotiate where others wouldshrink back.
Suzanne sprang into his arms as though not a second was to be lost inreaching the side of her beloved Buddy. So too, did Jack follow theexample of his pal, determined not to be cheated out of the glorioussight when Suzanne and Buddy were reunited.
Once they were all ashore, dripping wet, but heedless of so little athing under the circumstances. The master of this lonely region led themalong what seemed to be a narrow, well trodden path, circulating amongthe piled-up rocks and trees, until presently they reached a rude shackfrom the stone chimney of which arose the tell-tale smoke that had beentheir guiding beacon in discovering the retreat of the recluse.
Suzanne dashed ahead of their guide and they heard her joyous cries asthey reached the open door. She was down on her knees, her arms around afigure stretched out on a rude cot.
And so it was that Jack and Perk came upon the lost air-mail pilot whosehand they were soon squeezing with heartiest enthusiasm. Buddy wasbandaged pretty well and confessed to a broken arm and quite a lot ofbruises, all of which would keep him "on the shelf" for a month or sobut everything was "all right," he told them and expressed amazement aswell as pride when told that Suzanne had not only received her pilot'slicense, unbeknown to him, but even made a long and successful soloflight in the mad desire to join in the wide search for him.
The hermit was saying nothing, only listening with great interest andJack could easily see that somehow this strange happening must haverenewed his interest in the outside world from which he had for yearsbeen a stranger.
Such chattering as followed.
The happy girl turned every little while to beam upon her two faithfulsquires as if she could never forget how much they had done for her.Perk stared at her as though entranced. Evidently he had never imaginedthere could be so much loveliness in all the wide world as he sawpictured there in her rosy face with eyes like twin stars. For such adelightful little "dame" the honest fellow would have braved the perilsof Niagara or the Whirlpool Rapids, if need be, to see such rapturesteal over her face. The proud feeling, that he had been able to proveof service to Suzanne in her hour of blackest despair, would reward himten times over for any bodily discomfort he may have endured. And Buddytoo, he was surely worth finding--so jovial, so chummy in his ways and,lucky guy, with so dainty a "best girl" to hover over him and
be hisdevoted nurse.
No one would ever know the part he and Jack had taken in this happyending of the widely published mystery attending Buddy's vanishing inthe night. The rules of the service to which he and his pal had swornallegiance forbade such a thing as publicity. To have their picturessent throughout the land, with an account of their previous successfullabors in rounding up transgressors of the law, would put an effectualdamper on any future jobs coming their way. It was not to be permittedunder any circumstances whatever and not only the hermit, but both Buddyand his girl must solemnly promise never to disclose the names andvocation of the two airmen who were mainly responsible for the findingof the lost aviator.
That, however, was a minor matter to both comrades. They were not in theSecret Service of Uncle Sam for any glory or honors that might beshowered upon them. They did not risk their lives day after day with anyhope of being decorated with a Victory Cross or any ribbon telling offoreign service. It must be sufficient reward for them to feel that theyhad performed their duty to the best of their ability, no matter whatits character and, backed by the long arm of the Law, brought wickedviolators to the bar of justice, there to receive the penalty for theircrimes.
One thing Jack noticed almost immediately was how everything connectedwith the bandaging of Buddy's broken arm had been carried out withastonishing neatness. Had he been a patient in some hospital, attendedby the most famous of surgeons and with a clever nurse as his attendant,he could not have been in better shape.
Jack looked again closely at the mysterious recluse, noted the keen eye,the slender, agile fingers which moved with dexterity when he fixed upsome little slip in the bandage and made up his mind that the world hadundoubtedly lost one of its most gifted surgeons when this unknown mantook to the woods, so to speak, for some reason never known.
Buddy was a bit weak and his host bade him not to keep talking too long,since excitement would not be good for him in his presentcondition--indeed he had quite enough as it was. But Suzanne begged sohard to be permitted to wait upon him and promised to keep him quiet,that she was finally given permission to do so.
Perk too, had noticed the way in which the hermit had done such awonderfully fine job in attending to the one he had rescued fromdrowning after the plane had crashed; for he too, seemed to steal a slyglance in the other's direction whenever he felt he could do so withoutbeing detected.
For one thing, the near miracle of Buddy's being able to drop down intothe shallows near the sandy shore had doubtless kept the plane frombeing wrapped in flames and possibly eased the plunge more or less.
"When I dragged him out," the owner of the shack explained to Jack andthe latter noted how musical his voice seemed, so full and clear in thebargain, "he would not allow me to even look at his wounds until I hadfound and rescued four sacks of mail. You would have thought thecontents of those bags were of greater value than his own life. That iswhat I'd call being faithful to a trust. But now I must ask both of yougentlemen to follow me outside where, as a rule I do my cooking. Whilewe make ready to have supper, such as the limited stores will allow, wecan talk over things and you may be able to figure just how you expectto take off again in the morning for it is too late now to considergoing."
A little later on, while Jack was aboard the ship getting certain thingsthat he wanted, Perk sidled up to the earnest old man with whom theirfortunes had been so strangely thrown, and with one of his capaciousgrins remarked casually:
"If you'll excuse me for sayin' it, mister, I kinder guess now your namemight be Doctor Whitelaw Reeves!"
When the other heard him mention that name he started as though he hadbeen stung and looked Perk over with those keen eyes of his, and then afaint smile broke out on his stern face.