First Aid

By John R. Mabry (6th grade | 11 yrs)

It was perfectly natural; two boys wanting to campt away from home. But Alan and Robert were both overdoing it a little. They were going two miles out in the wilderness!

Alan was using an ax to go through the trees. But not Rob; he was using a machete to cut through the wild jungles of Africa!

Alan had to keep telling him: "Your imagination is going to get you into trouble," but inside Alan Snikered. Both of them were good friends. Though Alan was only a half-year older, he acted like he was three years older.

After getting out of the most wooded area they came to an open filed, about a 1/2 mile long. Alan kept good pace while walking through the knee-high grass. While at the same time Rob was in his imagination-crawling and gasping for water in the Sahara Desert!

By-and-by they came to a preaceful clearing in the With-it-Woods. Alan stared putting together the pup tent while, in Rob's mind, Fort Apache was under construction!

With the tent set up and the fire ring made Robert suggested, "Let's climb a tree!" Alan gave him a queer look.

"Are you cracked?"

"Why not?" Rob asked, "We have to make the bedrolls, blow up the mattresses, set up the lamp, collect firewoo--"

He was cut off by Rob. "Alright," he said, "I see your point." Rob flopped on a boulder sadly. He could have cared less!

His vision blurred and the stick beside him became a musket; Rob was an Indian hunter! Step by step cautiously, Opf! He tripped over a tent stake.

"I told you," said Alan, "You imagination's going to get you into trouble!"

Rob droped the stick and went to work setting camp.

By the time they got everything done it was time to hit-the-sack. Rob wanted to stay up. But Alan knew more about camping than Rob.

Once inside his bedroll Rob heard noises. He was unaccustomed to strange noises. He sat up and listened. A cougar was sniffing at the door, a lion in the back, and a tiger at the side, (when it was actually a little pack of mice).

Rob looked over at Alan; sound asleep. "He could sleep through anything!" Rob thought.

"Alan," Rob whispered, "Alan."

He just stirred a little.

Rob put his head into his bedroll and dug deep inside. Soon he was asleep.

As soon as Rob awoke, Alan had breakfast ready. Robert walked out of the tent when Alan said: "Early to bed and early to rise makes-"

"Yes," Rob said drowsily. "Ben Franklin."

"You're smart when you first wak up. In an hour you never would have known that."

Rob ignored him. "Now what do we do?"

"Nothing," was the reply. "Today we're going to climb that bluff overlooking Injun Lake!"

"Yippee," Rob lost control of himself. He huddled down on the boulder again, "Let's eat!"

After breakfast they started for the bluff. At the same time, Rob-in his mind-was exploring the antarctic!

They reached the bluff about noon.

Alan led the way, step by step, carefully up the bluff.

Rob was in a dream world again: he was conquering Everest!

Alan was far ahead of him now.

Rob's mind was so far away that he lost his footing and fell!

Alan heard the drop and got down as fast as he could without slipping.

A compound fracture in the right leg. Alan applied splints. Rob had lost a lot of blood in this left arm. "He sure fell crooked," Alan thought. He applied a tourniquit to the arm and pressed the pressure point in the shoulder.

Alan looked around for an emergency callbox. There was one! Over by a redwood tree.

Alan ran over to it and pulled the receiver.

A man with a gruff voice answered.

Alan said, "Come to Indian Lake at the Deadman's Bluff, quick!"

A squad car arrived within a half hour. Fifteen minutes later Rob was at the hospital. Two days later Rob was able to go home. Alan came over with a scout handbook. "I brought you a get-well present. This book saved your life!"

"Thanks," said Robert. "I needed that."

"I told you. Your imagination is going to get into trouble!" Rob just smiled but Alan laughed out loud.