which were gratefully accepted by the scouts.
It was a raw winter night when the doctor gave his first lecture to the
boys. A stiff wind was swinging in from the northeast, plainly telling
that a heavy storm was near at hand. But safe within their warm room,
the scouts gave no heed to what was taking place outside. They
listened with intense interest as the doctor explained to them what a
wonderful machine the human body really is, the difference between
veins and arteries, the various kinds of fractures, and other things
necessary for a second-class scout to know.
The lecture was as interesting as a story, and the doctor was delighted
at the attention of the scouts. The large chart made everything so
clear, and impressed firmly upon the minds of the boys the things they
had heard. It was half-past nine when they were through, and when the
door was opened, all were surprised to find such a furious storm raging
over the land. It had been snowing for some time, and drifts were
already piling up around Headquarters.
"Ye must stay with me to-night," Captain Josh told the doctor. "We kin
put ye up all right, and in the mornin' ye'll have a chance to see
Whyn. I want ye to have a look at her, anyway, fer she's not been up
to the mark of late."
Thus the doctor made up his mind to remain, and he bade good night to
the boys as they left the room, and plunged out into the storm.
"Take care of yerselves, boys," the captain shouted, "and don't git
lost."
Such a warning was needed, for no sooner had the scouts left the
building than the storm struck them in all its fury. The night was so
dark that they could not see a yard ahead of them. But the road to the
main highway was fenced in, and so they were kept from going astray.
Rod led, and with bent heads the rest followed. Step by step they
pressed onward, with the snow driving full into their faces. It was
cold, too, and the wind, piercing their clothes, chilled them. It was
fortunate that they had not far to go, else they would have found it
almost impossible to reach their homes on such a night.
They had gained the highway, and Rod had just turned to leave his
companions, who lived in the opposite direction, when he stumbled and
fell over something lying in the snow. His cry of surprise soon
brought the rest of the scouts to his side. Regaining his feet, Rod
felt with his hands to see what the object was over which he had
tumbled.
"It's a man!" h
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