After a short time elapsed and still he did not seem to respond, Westy became thoroughly alarmed, for a storm was coming on and it was getting darker overhead every minute.
He worked over him harder than ever, pleading, praying and asking for Divine intercession before the storm would break. Watching so intently, he really imagined that Rip was moving his body and his lips were moving in speech. But when he’d hold his face close to the unconscious boy he knew it was just hysteria that made him think he was moving and speaking when he wasn’t. So taking hold of himself, he started in again and had just grasped Rip’s arms to move him when the boy opened his eyes.
Westy’s thankfulness knew no bounds.
“Say, Wes,” he said a trifle weakly, “there’s no dirt in your eyes at all. I’ll take it all back right now!”
“Forget it, Rip!” Westy was wiping away the tears, unashamed, that were clouding his eyes. “I’m only glad that you’re K. O. How d’ye feel?”
“O. K. Not so bad, huh?”
“I should say not. Do you think you’d be able to get up with some help in a few minutes?”
“Sure, I’m no cripple. Any hurry?”
“No, only I want to get you up in the shelter of the cliff before the storm breaks.”
“Storm? Gee, that’s so! We’re on the base now, aren’t we? How’d you ever do it, Wes? I thought I was a goner sure. Would have been if I hadn’t lost my way getting up here. Went in the other direction, but got here eventually. Lucky I lost that much time. The water was like a merry-go-round where I was stuck. Couldn’t get my legs out at all. Don’t know how long I held on, but it seemed like hours.”