The Mysterious Man

Ronald hung by his fingers above the river. Carefully he moved a foot. He found a crack and jammed his foot into it securely. Then he got his other foot in another foothold. For a moment he didn’t move. Then he continued down the rock. When he reached the bottom, he stood in silence. He turned and walked along the side of the river. He was in a ravine with rocky terrain and at first it was hard going. The birds chirped, and a blue jay flew overhead, scolding him. Ronald took out his compass and checked his directions. He turned a little to the right and kept going. It took a while to get back to the donkey. Ronald untied it and started walking.

The ravine wasn’t too long, but it took Ronald the rest of the morning and part of the afternoon to get around it. The ground was strewn with boulders and holes. Ronald was walking along when his foot slipped into a hole. Carefully, he lifted it out, so as not to hurt it, and went on. The sun began to sink behind the mountain peak. Ronald paused to watch the flaming sunset. For a moment, the sky was on fire, and then it faded and disappeared. Ronald set up camp and ate his supper. Then he fell asleep.

The next morning, Ronald awoke. It was raining, so he quickly gathered his stuff and dashed for shelter. He sat shivering under a

narrow ledge all morning, until about noon when the rain stopped. The ground was wet and slippery, so it was slow going. He was walking past some boulders when he heard a shout. It seemed to come from the pile of boulders! Ronald ran over to them. Moving some brush, he saw a hole with a ladder leading down. Climbing down he saw that it was a man-made tunnel. Around a bend he saw a man lying on the floor of the cave. He had gray hair and steely blue eyes. He looked up when Ronald appeared. He started to say something, but his face twisted in pain. Ronald thought quickly, from the position the man’s leg was in, he thought it was most likely broken. He turned to the man and said, “I’ll be back in a second.” He said quietly.

Then he turned and quickly climbed out of the cave. Going over to his donkey, he pulled out some blankets and a rope. Then he gathered some large branches. Quickly he made a stretcher. He dragged it back down into the cave. The man passed out when Ronald moved him onto the stretcher, and deftly tied the man on. Then he put a blanket under the man’s head and leg, and slowly pulled the man to the mouth of the cave. He studied the opening. He couldn’t carry the man up the ladder. So, he took a rope and tied the end to the stretcher. Taking the other end, he checked to see that it was securely tied. Then he climbed out. He reached the top and looked around. Spotting a large tree, he made towards it. Bracing himself against the tree, he began to pull. It was slow, hard work. Ronald was glad he had done so much mountain climbing and exercise, it had strengthened his muscles. He pulled and pulled. Suddenly the rope slipped from his hands! Leaping forward he caught it just in time.

Finally, the stretcher reached the top. Ronald looked around. He spotted smoke coming out of what he thought was a chimney. Going toward it, with the stretcher, he saw that he had guessed correctly. Taking the man inside, he looked around. It was a simple cabin, sparsely decorated. There was a bed in the corner. Ronald walked over and quickly he prepared it for the man. Taking the stretcher up as close as possible, he untied the man and carefully moved him. Ronald leaned over him. The man’s leg was twisted in an odd position, and, as Ronald thought, it was broken. Ronald pulled out his pocket knife and slit open the man’s pant leg. Ronald let out a gasp of horror. Pressing his lips together tightly, Ronald studied the ghastly sight. A long gash ran down the leg, from the knee to the ankle. It was oozing blood. Ronald saw that the bone was broken a few inches below the knee. Luckily, the bone had broken nowhere else. Ronald went back quickly for his donkey and his medical kit.

Hauling his pack into the cabin, he opened it. Digging through it he found a black box. Opening it he saw an array of bandages, needles, thread, medicine, cloths and other things. Ronald and his father had gone over the medical kit many times to see that it contained everything Ronald could possibly need. Ronald carried the kit over to the bed. Then he went outside to cut some sticks for splints. While he was coming back in he picked up a pail by the back door. Going out he came upon a cold mountain stream, he filled his pail. Then he poured it into a pot over the fire. While the water heated he prepared his supplies.

When the water was boiling Ronald took it off. He poured some of it into a clean bucket, so he could cleanse the wound before setting it. Taking a needle and thread, which he had sterilized in some more of the water, he sewed the cut up. Then he bandaged it. He had tied the man to the bed, so he wouldn’t move. Ronald then placed the splints against the man’s leg and bound it up. He had been afraid that the man would regain consciousness before he finished straightening the leg, but he didn’t.

Ronald made some tea with herbs and hot water and put it in a cup and set it next to the man. That done, he looked around. The cabin was small and dirty, so Ronald began cleaning and straightening up. Partway through, he heard a groan. He walked over the man, he had awakened. “Don’t try to talk.” Ronald said quietly, “Now, drink this.”

Ronald held up the cup. The man slowly drank it, and then he sank back against the pillows. “Now, go to sleep, you need to rest.” Ronald told him.

The man closed his eyes, and after a little bit Ronald could tell by his breathing that the man was asleep. Ronald made himself supper, ate supper and finished cleaning up. Then he made himself a bed and fell asleep.

End of Chapter Eight