Page:The Boy Land Boomer.djvu/91

Rh than half an hour he had the satisfaction of seeing his father give a gasp and open his eyes.

"Father, don't you know me?"

"Dick!" came the almost inaudible reply. "Where—where am I?"

"You are safe, father. You fell into the river and came near to drowning."

"Is that so? I did not know there was a river near here."

Mr. Arbuckle was silent for several minutes, during which Dick continued his work and made him as comfortable as possible by wrapping his parent in his own dry coat.

"Where is that rascal?"

"What rascal, father?"

"The man with the red mask—the fellow who struck me down?"

"I do not know. So you were struck down? Where?"

"Just outside of the boomers' camp. Somebody brought me word that Pawnee Brown wanted to see me privately. I went, and a rascal rushed on me and demanded my private papers. I resisted and he struck me down. I know no more than that," and Mr. Arbuckle gave another gasp. His eyes were open, but in them was that uncertain look which