José hesitated a moment, then replied, “I saw you come up here, and I think El Señor need me. He tell me to take Luis down to the big house now. I leave you now.”
On nearing the malacate Jo Ann could see Manuel’s inert figure lying on the ground, Mr. Eldridge bending over him, and the girls standing near by.
“Is he——” Jo Ann left her question unfinished, but both girls knew what she meant.
“He’s still alive,” Florence whispered. “Unconscious. I could feel his pulse. His skin is a clammy cold. I wish I had some hot-water bottles to put around him.”
“Thank goodness he’s still alive!” Jo Ann exclaimed softly.
“We’ve put our sweaters over him,” Peggy added, gesturing to the sweaters on Manuel’s body. “I can’t think of anything else to do.”
“We might heat some rocks or bricks and put around him,” Jo Ann suggested eagerly.
“Good idea,” approved Mr. Eldridge, who had overheard her. “I’ll help you. We must do something to help him, since it’ll be hours before we can get a doctor here.”
They hurried about gathering wood and soon built a small fire on some flat stones. As soon as the stones were hot, they pushed them out of the fire, then covered them with some old pieces of a torn blanket.
“We must be absolutely certain these rocks’ll not burn him,” Jo Ann cautioned. “Persons suffering from shock are more easily burned than usual. My scout book said never to put anything hot next the patient till it could be held against your face for a minute without feeling too hot.” She tested each stone before passing it on to Mr. Eldridge to place next to the unconscious figure.