n his way down to where Hazel had fallen by
another path.
"Consarn the luck!" he grumbled. "Can't go a mile without something
breaking loose. Never saw anything like it in all my born days.
Anything wrong there?"
"Yes, seriously wrong," answered Miss Elting.
"Please send the guide up here. We can't get her out without
assistance," called down Harriet.
"Janus!" The guide stepped briskly at Miss Elting's incisive command.
He shinned up the tree without loss of time.
"Well, I swum!" he muttered.
Hazel's injured ankle had caught in a crotch of the tree. She was
lying across one of the thick lower limbs of the tree, unconscious and
with blood trickling from her face. Harriet was trying to get under
her shoulders in order to lift her up somewhat and relieve the strain.
Janus crawled up to Jane, who sat beside the unconscious girl.
"Well, I swum!" he exclaimed.
"Do something!" exploded Jane. "Do you want us to tell you what to do?"
"No, Miss; I know."
"Pardon me. I didn't mean to be rude. Only get Hazel out of the tree.
She must have help at once. Go down and help Harriet lift her. I'll
try to get her foot out of the crotch of the tree when you lift her off
the limb. But be careful and don't lose your hold on her."
"If you will come here and support Hazel's shoulders I think I shall be
able to do better by lifting her at the waist," suggested Harriet. "I
am afraid you had better remain down there, Miss Elting," she called as
the guardian made ready to climb the tree; "there isn't room for all of
us. Besides, the tree might break. I don't know how strong these
limbs really are. You might have one of the girls bring a blanket.
There is one on top of the tree, but we can't get it."
Tommy climbed back to the trail, throwing a blanket down. In the
meantime, Jane had got down and was supporting Hazel's head and
shoulders. Harriet braced herself, back and feet, against the limbs of
the tree, both arms about the waist of the imprisoned, unconscious
girl. Janus was working cautiously at the captive foot.
"Raise her a little. Whoa! Hold her there."
It was not an easy task for the two girls to follow orders in that
instance, but they did, their faces growing red under the strain.
Hazel was moaning.
"Miss Elting; the smelling salts!" called Harriet.
The guardian passed them up, Jane grasping the bottle and placing it
under Hazel's nostrils.
"Lift a little more. That's enough."
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