block the wagon, but everyone seemed to know it as soon as the
trouble occurred. Several were badly bumped and shaken up,
but only one, named Reams, was much hurt. His foot caught
under a log upon which the engine partly rested. Tedder seemed
to know what to do immediately, in spite of the confusion. He
braced up Reams while he directed as many as could to lift the
beam and steady the engine. Reams had a grin on his mouth,
but the others could see that he was painfully hurt. The work
was entirely forgotten. The problem was how to get Reams
back to the college. He could not walk, and to carry him or haul
him on a wagon so far seemed too rough and tedious to be tried.
Reams sat on a dark red block of ore with his left foot on his knee.
The rest stood around. Something must be done. At that mo
ment a farmer, with a short cut black beard and energetic car
riage, came around the corner of the washer. He stopped a few
paces from the students, who turned in their tracks and looked at
him. The man only stood still a second and then' walked up to
Reams and said in a kind voice:
“Well, boys, this fellow is too much hurt to take to the college
to-night. You just better bring him over to my house and I’ll get
the doctor in the morning, if he is needed.”
The students shifted a little but made no remark until Tedder
spoke.
“You don’t mean that you will take him in to-night ?”
Yes,” said the farmer, “if one of you will stay with him.”
“But if we just had a buggy we could take him in”
Oh, no; it would shake him all to pieces riding over these
roads now.” Then bending over Reams he said, “I don’t want
to find out anything about you. I have an idea how you got hurt,
but let that go. You come over and we will fix you comfortably.”
His action was final. Reams was taken to the house. The farmer,
whose name was Stone, called his wife. When Mrs. Stone got
downstairs she was amazed to find so many men in the kitchen.
They stood along the walls and around the sink, table and stove
talking among themselves and to her husband, who was kindling
a fire. Tedder, and others were attending to Reams. The students
A Diplomatic Farmer,