University of Virginia Library

CHAPTER XVII.
THE HELPING HAND.

THEN Josh laughed aloud.

"Well," he remarked, "of all the funny stunts that wizard has ever shown us, this one sure takes the cake; but that old hatchet came mighty near givin' me an ugly clip on the head when he dropped it."

"There's only one Hanky Panky, and we've got him along with us," Rooster went on to say; although he had been so much astonished at the sudden and unexpected disappearance of the boy who had stood on the top of the stump, that for a brief space of time he could hardly catch his breath; but now he too began to gurgle with the first symptoms of amusement.

"Hold on," said Rod, looking a bit serious; "I've got an idea that Hanky Panky wasn't dreaming of that thing giving way, when he told us to keep our eyes on him, and see a remarkable sample of something disappearing."

"Oh! is that so, Rod?" exclaimed Rooster, looking surprised again; "do you really mean that it

wasn't meant to be, and that he broke through by accident?"

"I'm afraid so," replied the other.

"It ought to be easy enough to find that out, suh," remarked Elmer."

Josh had already started to climb up the stump, when he paused.

"Just how, Elmer?" he questioned. "By asking him that same thing; Rod, you try and see if he answers," the Southern boy went on to say.

Accordingly, Rod stepped a little closer to the prison, which now held their humorous companion, and raising his voice, called:

"Hello! there, Hanky Panky, ahoy!"

Rooster at the same time rapped sharply on the tree trunk with his knuckles, as though he were beating a lively tattoo on a door panel.

"Hey! Rod, that you talkin' out there?" came in a strangely muffled voice. "You don't know how queer it sounds -- just like you might be half a mile away."

"Are you hurt, Hanky?" demanded Rod, first of all.

"Oh! not so much, I guess," came the reply. "P'raps I got a few scratches, and one of my elbows feels some sore; but that don't count! What's botherin' me right now is, how am I agoin' to get up out of here again?"

"Oh!" said Josh, unable to resist the temptation to "put his oar in" just at this juncture, "then you never bothered your noddle how you'd get out when you started in to show us the grand disappearing act, did you, Hanky?"

A little interval of silence followed, as though the prisoner of the stump might be pondering over matters; then once again he called out in that hollow way:

"Say, don't tell me you thought I did that stunt apurpose? I hope I ain't that big a fool, to risk my blessed old neck tryin' to get up a laugh. Why, I was just as much s'prised as the next feller when she gave way under me. Didn't you see how I tried to grab hold of the top, and it was so rotten it just broke off in chunks. Where am I anyhow; d'ye think you c'n get me up again the same way I came down? Hope I don't have to stay in here all night, now. It's so narrow I c'n hardly turn around. And I feel like I'm agoin' to sneeze all the time. Achew! achew! achew! Rod, think up some way to rescue me, won't you, please?"

The four boys outside exchanged glances, and then all of them laughed; for the situation was really so comical even Rod could not keep sober any longer. Of course, had Hanky Panky really been hurt in any way, that would have put another face on the matter; but he had already confessed to the contrary.

"Go on, and laugh all you want to, fellers," the prisoner of the hollow tree was heard to call out, which indicated that he must have caught the sounds that accompanied their merriment, though none of them ventured to laugh very loud, remembering Elmer's caution; "Guess I c'n stand it, so long as you turn to, like good ones, and haul me out of this hole. And next time I want to show off, when I've got a new trick up my sleeve, believe me, I ain't goin' to pick out any old stump for a platform, not if I know it."

"Just hold on a little, Hanky!" called Rod, "and we'll talk it over. I've no doubt but what we'll think up some way to get you out of that. If the worst comes, why, there's that hatchet you dropped, you know. We can start to work, and chop a hole in the side of the stump, big enough for you to crawl through."

"Oh! try and think of some way better'n that, Rod, please," the prisoner called out. "I'm afraid it'd be an everlastin' long job, with that little camp hatchet, because, you see, the sides of the old thing feel like they might be half a foot or so through, down here, and not so rotten either."

"Then how about rigging up some sort of a rope, and lowering the same down to you, Hanky?" asked Josh, who was only too well pleased to have a hand in the work of rescue.

"That would be a good idea," came the reply, in

an eager tone of voice; "but before you lower it, make a loop in the end, so I can get my arms through; because it's so close quarters down here I couldn't do much, you see."

"All right, we'll look out for that, old top!" said Josh, dropping back again to the ground.

As they did not have such a thing as a rope along with them, it became necessary to arrange some sort of makeshift to take the place of one. This Rod was able to do by tying several garments together, until he believed he had the proper length.

"I think I'd better climb up there with you," Josh remarked, as he saw that the other had managed to gain a position near the top of the ten-foot stump. "It'll be a pretty hard pull, getting a dead weight up out of the hole. Hello! Hanky, are you ready to dig your knees in the sides, and help all you can; because we won't be able to do our level best, you see, hanging to the side of the old stump?"

"Sure I am," came from the prisoner; "and Rod, I think I c'n do a heap that way, once you give me a helpin' hand. But for goodness sake alive, don't you let me drop back after I get near to the top."

"You can depend on us to hold on, Hanky," Josh called down the black chute, as he waited for Rod to join him.

When both managed to fix themselves as solidly as the conditions allowed, which was not saying very much after all, the makeshift rope was lowered

into the cavity. Presently the unseen chum announced that he had seized it.

"Hold on till I say when, fellers!" he begged, as if afraid that they might jerk the life-line out of his eager clutches. I've got to fix it somehow around my body under my arms, so I c'n have free play. Now, I guess it's all right; and you might give a gentle little starter."

Rod and Josh, acting in unison, did not take long in helping the lost chum reach the top of the stump; and then Hanky was shown how to crawl out without trusting too much to the treacherous crumbling wood that went to form the margin.

So the three of them dropped down to the ground, Rooster waved his cap, and made out to crow, although no sound came from his lips; for Elmer had plucked at his elbow, as if to remind him of the value of silence just then.

Rod was a little anxious to make sure that Hanky had received no serious injury by reason of his fall. There were several minor scratches that bled a little; but the other, after feeling of his limbs and sides, again announced that he was "all right."

"But fellers, you'll excuse me, I know, if I postpone that little performance of mine until another time," he went on to say; "and I'm tellin' you, that after this I'm agoin' to make sure the platform's sound before I start in to do another circus act. That disappearing job may have looked funny

enough to you, but it was a big surprise to me. Say, I really thought I was bound for China, the way I slipped down that chute. And let me tell you, I wondered whether I'd land on a bear, or a snake. Yes, sir, I seemed to think of a heap of things in that little second while I was scratching along down inside that old stump."

"I've been there myself, and know how that feels," Rod remarked, sympathetically.

Hanky Panky immediately stretched himself out on the ground, as though his violent exertions might have added to his weariness. All his friskiness seemed to have disappeared, after meeting up with his singular little adventure.

"I guess I'm follered by some sort of a jinx," he was heard to grumble, as he sat there, rubbing his shins and elbows, with a grimace, as though they pained more than he had been willing to admit; "seems like when I want to show off any, something sure's agoin' to happen. Remember that time I slipped off the lock, and fell right ker-chunk into the canal basin, with my clothes on, too? But even that sort of thing ain't goin' to discourage me. Success never was won in a day. And I'm bound to keep on trying to get to the top round of the ladder, if I have to break a dozen ribs adoin' the same."

"I like your nerve, anyhow, Hanky Panky," admitted Josh. "You do a heap of stunts that make us laugh; but nobody ain't got anything on you

when it comes to being set in your way, and stickin' everlastingly to it. But who d'ye think that is, acomin' along the road back there, on horseback, too? No mountain men about that pair, let me tell you. Think it might be this here Colonel Pepper, Elmer?"

The Tennessee boy was also eagerly watching the approach of the two men. They seemed to be fairly well dressed, as though they were gentlemen; certainly nothing about them might he taken as evidence that they belonged to the class of poor whites who had their cabin homes among the mountains of the region.

"No, because as I remember him, suh, Colonel Pepper was a man with a black mustache, and hair of the same color; and you can see for yourselves that both these gentlemen are fair. I'm sure I don't know who they can be; but they seem to be already interested in us, for I saw one of them point this way, and now they are talking rapidly, as they draw in their hosses. I reckon, now, that they might take a notion to stop a bit, and satisfy their curiosity, And if you will allow me, I would like very much to do most of the talking."

"That goes without saying, Elmer," remarked Rod, immediately; "and I'm sure I speak for all the rest of the crowd. You belong down here, and know the people better than any of the rest of us do. And it's your business we're on, right now. So

go ahead, and manage things any way you think best."

"Thank you, suh," replied the Southern boy, gravely.

Then they lapsed into silence, all of them watching the coming of the two unknown riders; and possibly all sorts of strange theories flitting through the brains of Rooster and Hanky Panky concerning the identity of the strangers.

In another minute the pair drew rein just in front of the parcel of boys; and their eyes seemed to range from the motorcycles to their young owners, with what Rod thought was an exchange of suspicious glances.