"Alger Jr, Horatio - Joe the Hotel Boy" - читать интересную книгу автора (Alger Horatio Jr)

As Joe neared the cabin something seemed to come over him and,
for some reason he could not understand, he felt very much
depressed in spirits. He quickened his pace, until a turn of the
trail brought the homestead into view.

A cry of alarm broke from his lips and with good reason. The
little shelter had stood close to a large hemlock tree. The
lightning had struck the tree, causing it to topple ever. In
falling, it had landed fairly and squarely upon the cabin,
smashing it completely. One corner of the cabin was in ashes,
but the heavy rain had probably extinguished the conflagration.

"Uncle Hiram!" cried the boy, as soon as he recovered from his
amazement. "Uncle Hiram, where are you?"

There was no answer to this call and for the moment Joe's heart
seemed to stop beating. Was the old hermit under that pile of
ruins? If so it was more than likely he was dead.

Dropping his fish and his lines, the youth sprang to the front of
the cabin. The door had fallen to the ground and before him was
a mass of wreckage with a small hollow near the bottom. He
dropped on his knees and peered inside.

"Uncle Hiram!" he called again.

There was no answer, and he listened with bated breath. Then he
fancied he heard a groan, coming from the rear of what was left
of the cabin. He ran around to that point and pulled aside some
boards and a broken window sash.

"Uncle Hiram, are you here?"

"Joe!" came in a low voice, full of pain. The man tried to say
more but could not.

Hauling aside some more boards, Joe now beheld the hermit, lying
flat on his back, with a heavy beam resting on his chest. He was
also suffering from a cut on the forehead and from a broken
ankle.

"This is too bad, Uncle Hiram!" he said, in a trembling voice.
"I'll get you out just as soon as I can."

"Be--be careful, Joe--I--I--my ribs must be broken," gasped the
hermit.

"I'll be careful," answered the boy, and began to pull aside one
board after another. Then he tugged away at the beam but could
not budge it.