CHAPTER XVIII.--AN ERRAND OF MERCY.
"What's up?" cried Frank.
"Yes, what's the trouble?" came from Dr. Perkins.
"Trouble enough. We sprang a leak two days ago, out on the fishingbanks, and have been at the pumps ever since. Now we've got the leakstopped, but my mate, Joe Higgins, was struck on the head by the boomand is so mortal bad that if we don't get a doctor for him pretty quickI'm afraid he'll die. Then, too, our provisions is run out."
While the man was reciting this catalogue of mishaps the _Sea Eagle_ wasrun alongside, and Dr. Perkins made her fast with a line the man flungto him.
"First let's have a look at the injured man," he said and, withoutfurther delay, Captain Zebedee Crooks, as he informed the travelers hisname was, led them aft to a tiny cabin, stuffy, dark and reeking offish. The boys followed Dr. Perkins into this wretched little den andCaptain Zebedee lighted a sea lantern.
Its rays showed them a heavily built man of middle age lying on alocker. His head was bandaged, and although he breathed he showed noother signs of life. Dr. Perkins, with the skill of a professional man,made a hasty examination.
"This man is badly hurt," he said at length. "I am afraid his skull isfractured, but of that I cannot be certain. He should be ashore in ahospital."
"Aye! I know that," rejoined Captain Zebedee, "but at the rate we aregoing now we won't get ashore till to-morrow night, and by that timepoor Joe may be dead."
"I think it extremely likely," replied Dr. Perkins, "but we must get himashore at once."
"What, in that sky schooner of yours?" Dr. Perkins nodded.
"Yes, we must get him on deck without further loss of time. Then we'llrush him to a hospital."
"The good Lord who sent you here bless you!" exclaimed the rugged oldfisherman, affected almost to tears. "I never thought when I seen youaway up thar in ther sky that you'd bother to notice the poor _Star ofGloucester_; but you did. You come down from the clouds like so manyangels."
"Funny-looking angels," remarked Frank to Harry, in an undertone. ButCaptain Zebedee's gratitude was so heartfelt and earnest that neither ofthe boys could find it in them to smile at his odd phrases.
Captain Zebedee summoned some of his crew from the deck and as tenderlyas possible the injured man was conveyed from the cabin. This done, hewas lowered into the _Sea Eagle_ and laid on a pile of blankets alreadyprepared for his reception.
"Better make for Bayhaven," counseled Captain Zebedee; "there's a goodhospital there, and it lies right on the coast about in a straight linefrom here."
Dr. Perkins nodded, and then, having seen that the injured man was in aposition to endure the ride comfortably, the flight to the shore wasbegun; but not till a substantial amount of provisions and some freshwater had been supplied to the fishing smack. As the _Sea Eagle_ took tothe air the _Star of Gloucester_ was set before the wind, and staggeredoff on her slow course once more. The last the boys saw of the clumsyfisherman, the stout figure of Captain Zebedee was leaning on the sternbulwarks waving to them as they winged shoreward.
The coast was a rocky one, with gaunt cliffs and few habitations. But asthey reached it and flew low above a small house on the summit of thecliffs, they spied a man at work in a small garden. Of him Frankinquired the way to Bayhaven. The man was too much astonished to answerat first, and stood looking stupidly up at the winged monster above him.
But finally he collected his wits and pointed to the south. The _SeaEagle_ was thereupon headed round, and, not long after, her passengerscame in sight of a tiny town huddled in a cove almost at the water'sedge. Heading out seaward once more, Dr. Perkins dropped to the water inthe harbor, and then at reduced speed ran the _Sea Eagle_ up to the longwharf which jutted out at the foot of the little city's main street.
By the time they arrived alongside of the jetty half the population ofthe town was on hand to greet them. Their approach through the air hadbeen seen when they were still some distance off, and as the _Sea Eagle_was the first air ship ever seen in Bayhaven it may be imagined what asensation Dr. Perkins' craft created.
But all eager questioners were waved aside while Dr. Perkins and hisyoung friends called for volunteers to help lift the injured man out ofthe _Sea Eagle_. A dozen willing hands responded, and before long themate of the _Star of Gloucester_ was on his way to the hospital in awagon which had been hastily converted into an ambulance. It may be saidhere that, thanks to the prompt manner in which aid had been secured forhim, the man recovered after a long illness, and was able to resume hiswork on Captain Zebedee's ship, where he never tires of telling of howhe was saved by an aerial ambulance.
Dr. Perkins accompanied his patient to the hospital, where he saw himcomfortably settled. In the meantime Frank and Harry had been left onguard with the _Sea Eagle_, for the crowd had grown so large, and socurious, that it would not have been wise to have left the ship to themercies of the inquisitive. The boys answered a perfect hailstorm ofquestions as good-naturedly as possible, but once or twice they had touse physical means to keep the younger element of the population ofBayhaven off the decks.
By the time Dr. Perkins returned they were heartily tired of their job,and hailed his proposal that they should go up to town and purchase afresh supply of provisions, with much delight. Leaving Dr. Perkins tocope with the throng, the two boys, arm in arm, made their way throughthe press and set off for the main street, which sloped up from thewharf. One or two of the crowd followed them, gaping curiously at theyouthful aerial voyagers. But the boys were too used to the curiosity ofcrowds to mind this, and before long their followers dropped back togape at the great flying machine.
They found the town a small, uninteresting place. There were severalshops, a hotel, with the usual group of loungers hanging about theporch, and further back a canning factory, which gave employment, in oneway or another, to most of the inhabitants of Bayhaven. Beyond the hotelwas a big "general store." Entering it, the boys made a variety ofpurchases, and arranged that the goods should be shipped to the _SeaEagle_ as soon as possible.
They were just leaving the place when out of the dusk--for by this timeit was getting late--there came a figure that caused both boys to come toa dead stop in petrified astonishment. As for the man who had causedtheir sudden stoppage he, for his part, appeared to be nonplussed for asecond. But the next moment he turned and fairly ran out of the store.
"After him!" cried Frank; "it's that rascal Duval!"
"That's what!" cried Harry, no less excited.
Both boys, to the utter amazement of the storekeeper, who thought theyhad gone suddenly crazy, dashed out of the door of the emporium, andtaking the steps outside in one jump they made off in the direction inwhich Duval, for there was no doubt it was he, had vanished. But as illluck would have it, the cannery whistle had just blown for the cessationof the day's work, and round the corner there streamed a big crowd ofthe employees.
It took the boys some time to work their way through the throng, forsome of the men were inclined to tease them by stepping in their way andotherwise annoying them so that by the time they got through the crowdall hope of catching, or even sighting, Duval was gone.
Greatly disappointed, and almost as much mystified by their suddenencounter with the rascally Frenchman, the boys decided to turn back andgo down to the _Sea Eagle_. On their way they discussed Duval's suddenreappearance with interest.
"What can he be doing here?" wondered Harry.
"Blessed if I know," was the rejoinder, "but I'll bet he's up to somemischief or other. My! How he ran when he saw us."
"He had good reason to," declared Harry; "I guess we'd have had himarrested if we'd ever caught him."
"Not much doubt of that," declared Frank; "we could have charged himwith the theft of that boat, anyhow, and that would have held him in thecustody of the authorities till we could have obtained furtherevidence."
"Well, I don't imagine we'll see him again," decided Harry, as theyturned into the Main Street.
"No such luck," decl
ared Frank.
But, after all, the boys were to see Duval again, and sooner than theyexpected, too.
Boy Aviators' Flight for a Fortune Page 18