Ample proof of Rob's careless and restless nature having been frankly
placed before the reader in these pages, you will doubtless be
surprised when I relate that during the next few hours our young
gentleman suffered from a severe attack of homesickness, becoming as
gloomy and unhappy in its duration as ever a homesick boy could be.
It may have been because he was just then cut off from all his
fellow-creatures and even from the world itself; it may have been
because he was satiated with marvels and with the almost absolute
control over the powers which the Demon had conferred upon him; or it
may have been because he was born and reared a hearty, healthy American
boy, with a disposition to battle openly with the world and take his
chances equally with his fellows, rather than be placed in such an
exclusive position that no one could hope successfully to oppose him.
Perhaps he himself did not know what gave him this horrible attack of
"the blues," but the truth is he took out his handkerchief and cried
like a baby from very loneliness and misery.
There was no one to see him, thank goodness! and the tears gave him
considerable relief. He dried his eyes, made an honest struggle to
regain his cheerfulness, and then muttered to himself:
"If I stay up here, like an air-bubble in the sky, I shall certainly go
crazy. I suppose there's nothing but water to look at down below, but
if I could only sight a ship, or even see a fish jump, it would do me
no end of good."
Thereupon he descended until, as the ocean's surface same nearer and
nearer, he discovered a tiny island lying almost directly underneath
him. It was hardly big enough to make a dot on the biggest map, but a
clump of trees grew in the central portion, while around the edges were
jagged rocks protecting a sandy beach and a stretch of flower-strewn
upland leading to the trees.
It looked beautiful from Rob's elevated position, and his spirits
brightened at once.
"I'll drop down and pick a bouquet," he exclaimed, and a few moments
later his feet touched the firm earth of the island.
But before he could gather a dozen of the brilliant flowers a glad
shout reached his ears, and, looking up, he saw two men running towards
him from the trees.
They were dressed in sailor fashion, but their clothing was reduced to
rags and scarcely clung to their brown, skinny bodies. As they
advanced they waved their arms wildly in the air and cried in joyful
tones:
"A boat! a boat!"
Rob stared at them wonderingly, and had much ado to prevent the poor
fellows from hugging him outright, so great was their joy at his
appearance. One of them rolled upon the ground, laughing and crying by
turns, while the other danced and cut capers until he became so
exhausted that he sank down breathless beside his comrade.
"How came you here?" then inquired the boy, in pitying tones.
"We're shipwrecked American sailors from the bark 'Cynthia Jane,' which
went down near here over a month ago," answered the smallest and
thinnest of the two. "We escaped by clinging to a bit of wreckage and
floated to this island, where we have nearly starved to death. Indeed,
we now have eaten everything on the island that was eatable, and had
your boat arrived a few days later you'd have found us lying dead upon
the beach!"
Rob listened to this sad tale with real sympathy.
"But I didn't come here in a boat," said he.
The men sprang to their feet with white, scared faces.
"No boat!" they cried; "are you, too, shipwrecked?"
"No;" he answered. "I flew here through the air." And then he
explained to them the wonderful electric traveling machine.
But the sailors had no interest whatever in the relation. Their
disappointment was something awful to witness, and one of them laid his
head upon his comrade's shoulder and wept with unrestrained grief, so
weak and discouraged had they become through suffering.
Suddenly Rob remembered that he could assist them, and took the box of
concentrated food tablets from his pocket.
"Eat these," he said, offering one of each to the sailors.
At first they could not understand that these small tablets would be
able to allay the pangs of hunger; but when Rob explained their virtues
the men ate them greedily. Within a few moments they were so greatly
restored to strength and courage that their eyes brightened, their
sunken cheeks flushed, and they were able to converse with their
benefactor with calmness and intelligence.
Then the boy sat beside them upon the grass and told them the story of
his acquaintance with the Demon and of all his adventures since he had
come into possession of the wonderful electric contrivances. In his
present mood he felt it would be a relief to confide in some one, and
so these poor, lonely men were the first to hear his story.
When he related the manner in which he had clung to the Turk while both
ascended into the air, the elder of the two sailors listened with rapt
attention, and then, after some thought, asked:
"Why couldn't you carry one or both of us to America?"
Rob took time seriously to consider this idea, while the sailors eyed
him with eager interest. Finally he said:
"I'm afraid I couldn't support your weight long enough to reach any
other land. It's a long journey, and you'd pull my arms out of joint
before we'd been up an hour."
Their faces fell at this, but one of them said:
"Why couldn't we swing ourselves over your shoulders with a rope? Our
two bodies would balance each other and we are so thin and emaciated
that we do not weigh very much."
While considering this suggestion Rob remembered how at one time five
pirates had clung to his left leg and been carried some distance
through the air.
"Have you a rope?" he asked.
"No," was the answer; "but there are plenty of long, tough vines
growing on the island that are just as strong and pliable as ropes."
"Then, if you are willing to run the chances," decided the boy, "I will
make the attempt to save you. But I must warn you that in case I find
I can not support the weight of your bodies I shall drop one or both of
you into the sea."
They looked grave at this prospect, but the biggest one said:
"We would soon meet death from starvation if you left us here on the
island; so, as there is at least a chance of our being able to escape
in your company I, for one, am willing to risk being drowned. It is
easier and quicker than being starved. And, as I'm the heavier, I
suppose you'll drop me first."
"Certainly," declared Rob, promptly.
This announcement seemed to be an encouragement to the little sailor,
but he said, nervously:
"I hope you'll keep near the water, for I haven't a good head for
heights--they always make me dizzy."
"Oh, if you don't want to go," began Rob, "I can easily--"
"But I do! I do! I do!" cried the little man, interrupting him. "I
shall die if you leave me behind!"
"Well, then, get your ropes, and we'll do the best we can," said the
boy.
They ran to the trees, around the trunks of which were clinging many
tendrils of greenish-brown vine which possessed remarkable strength.
With their knives they cut a long section of this vine, the ends of
which were then tied into loops large enough to permit the sailors to
sit in them comfortably. The connecting piece Rob padded with seaweed
gathered from the shore, to prevent its cutting into his shoulders.
"Now, then," he said, when all was ready, "take your places."
The sailors squatted in the loops, and Rob swung the vine over his
shoulders and turned the indicator of the traveling machine to "up."
As they slowly mounted into the sky the little sailor gave a squeal of
terror and clung to the boy's arm; but the other, although seemingly
anxious, sat quietly in his place and made no trouble.
"D--d--don't g--g--go so high!" stammered the little one, tremblingly;
"suppose we should f--f--fall!"
"Well, s'pose we should?" answered Rob, gruffly. "You couldn't drown
until you struck the water, so the higher we are the longer you'll live
in case of accident."
This phase of the question seemed to comfort the frightened fellow
somewhat; but, as he said, he had not a good head for heights, and so
continued to tremble in spite of his resolve to be brave.
The weight on Rob's shoulders was not so great as he had feared, the
traveling machine seeming to give a certain lightness and buoyancy to
everything that came into contact with its wearer.
As soon as he had reached a sufficient elevation to admit of good speed
he turned the indicator once more to the east and began moving rapidly
through the air, the shipwrecked sailors dangling at either side.
"This is aw--aw--awful!" gasped the little one.
"Say, you shut up!" commanded the boy, angrily. "If your friend was as
big a coward as you are I'd drop you both this minute. Let go my arm
and keep quiet, if you want to reach land alive."
The fellow whimpered a little, but managed to remain silent for several
minutes. Then he gave a sudden twitch and grabbed Rob's arm again.
"S'pose--s'pose the vine should break!" he moaned, a horrified look
upon his face.
"I've had about enough of this," said Rob, savagely. "If you haven't
any sense you don't deserve to live." He turned the indicator on the
dial of the machine and they began to descend rapidly.
The little fellow screamed with fear, but Rob paid no attention to him
until the feet of the two suspended sailors were actually dipping into
the waves, when he brought their progress to an abrupt halt.
"Wh--wh--what are you g--g--going to do?" gurgled the cowardly sailor.
"I'm going to feed you to the sharks--unless you promise to keep your
mouth shut," retorted the boy. "Now, then; decide at once! Which will
it be--sharks or silence?"
"I won't say a word--'pon my honor, I won't!" said the sailor
shudderingly.
"All right; remember your promise and we'll have no further trouble,"
remarked Rob, who had hard work to keep from laughing at the man's
abject terror.
Once more he ascended and continued the journey, and for several hours
they rode along swiftly and silently. Rob's shoulders were beginning
to ache with the continued tugging of the vine upon them, but the
thought that he was saving the lives of two unfortunate
fellow-creatures gave him strength and courage to persevere.
Night was falling when they first sighted land; a wild and seemingly
uninhabited stretch of the American coast. Rob made no effort to
select a landing place, for he was nearly worn out with a strain and
anxiety of the journey. He dropped his burden upon the brow of a high
bluff overlooking the sea and, casting the vine from his shoulders,
fell to the earth exhausted and half fainting.