s soon as I can."

"Be--be careful, Joe--I--I--my ribs must be broken," gasped the hermit.

"I'll be careful," answered the boy, and began to pull aside one board
after another. Then he tugged away at the beam but could not budge it.

"Raise it up Joe--it--is--crushing the life ou--out of me," said the
hermit faintly.

"I'll pry it up," answered the boy, and ran off to get a block of
wood. Then he procured a stout pole and with this raised the heavy beam
several inches.

"Can you crawl out, Uncle Hiram?"

There was no answer, and Joe saw that the man had fainted from
exhaustion. Fixing the pole so it could not slip, he caught hold of the
hermit and dragged him to a place of safety.

Joe had never had to care for a hurt person before and he scarcely knew
how to proceed. He laid the hermit on the grass and washed his face with
water. Soon Hiram Bodley opened his eyes once more.

"My chest!" he groaned. "All of my ribs must be broken! And my ankle is
broken, too!" And he groaned again.

"I had better get a doctor, Uncle Hiram."

"A doctor can't help me."

"Perhaps he can."

"I haven't any faith in doctors. A doctor operated on my mother and
killed her."

"But Doctor Gardner is a nice man. He will do all he can for you, I am
sure," urged Joe.

"Well, Dr. Gardner is a good fellow I admit. If you--can--can get
him--I'll--I'll--" The sufferer tried to go on but could not.

"I think I can get him. But I hate to leave you alone." And Joe stared
around helplessly. He wished he had Ned with him.

"Never mind--give me a drink--then go," answered Hiram Bodley. He had
often taken Doctor Gardner out to hunt with him and liked the physician
not a little.

Inside of five minutes Joe was on the way to the doctor's residence,
which was on the outskirts of Riverside. He had left the hermit as
comfortable as possible, on a mattress and covered with a cloth to keep
off the night air,--for it was now growing late and the sun had set
behind the mountains.

Tired though he was the boy pulled with might and main, and so reached
the dock of the physician's home in a short space of time. Running up
the walk of the neatly-kept garden, he mounted the piazza and rang the
bell several times.

"What's the matter?" asked Doctor Gardner, who came himself to answer
the summons.

"Our cabin is in ruins, because of the storm, and Mr. Bodley is badly
hurt," answered Joe, and related some of the particulars.

"This is certainly to