"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 fishing
banks, and have been at the pumps ever since. Now we've got the leak
stopped, but my mate, Joe Higgins, was struck on the head by the boom
and is so mortal bad that if we don't get a doctor for him pretty quick
I'm afraid he'll die. Then, too, our provisions is run out."
While the man was reciting this catalogue of mishaps the _Sea Eagle_ was
run alongside, and Dr. Perkins made her fast with a line the man flung
to him.
"First let's have a look at the injured man," he said and, without
further delay, Captain Zebedee Crooks, as he informed the travelers his
name was, led them aft to a tiny cabin, stuffy, dark and reeking of
fish. The boys followed Dr. Perkins into this wretched little den and
Captain Zebedee lighted a sea lantern.
Its rays showed them a heavily built man of middle age lying on a
locker. His head was bandaged, and although he breathed he showed no
other 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 is
fractured, but of that I cannot be certain. He should be ashore in a
hospital."
"Aye! I know that," rejoined Captain Zebedee, "but at the rate we are
going now we won't get ashore till to-morrow night, and by that time
poor Joe may be dead."
"I think it extremely likely," replied Dr. Perkins, "but we must get him
ashore 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'll
rush him to a hospital."
"The good Lord who sent you here bless you!" exclaimed the rugged old
fisherman, affected almost to tears. "I never thought when I seen you
away up thar in ther sky that you'd bother to notice the poor _Star of
Gloucester_; but you did. You come down from the clouds like so many
angels."
"Funny-looking angels," remarked Frank to Harry, in an undertone. But
Captain Zebedee's gratitude was so heartfelt and earnest that neither of
the boys could find it in them to smile at his odd phrases.
Captain Zebedee summoned some of his crew from the deck and as tenderly
as possible the injured man was conveyed from the cabin. This done, he
was lowered into the _Sea Eagle_ and laid on a pile of blankets already
prepared for his reception.
"Better make for Bayhaven," counseled Captain Zebedee; "there's a good
hospital there, and it lies right on the coast about in a straight line
from here."
Dr. Perkins nodded, and then, having seen that the injured man was in a
position to endure the ride comfortably, the flight to the shore was
begun; but not till a substantial amount of provisions and some fresh
water had been supplied to the fishing smack. As the _Sea Eagle_ took to
the air the _Star of Gloucester_ was set before the wind, and staggered
off on her slow course once more. The last the boys saw of the clumsy
fisherman, the stout figure of Captain Zebedee was leaning on the stern
bulwarks waving to them as they winged shoreward.
The coast was a rocky one, with gaunt cliffs and few habitations. But as
they reached it and flew low above a small house on the summit of the
cliffs, they spied a man at work in a small garden. Of him Frank
inquired the way to Bayhaven. The man was too much astonished to answer
at first, and stood looking stupidly up at the winged monster above him.
But finally he collected his wits and pointed to the south. The _Sea
Eagle_ was thereupon headed round, and, not long after, her passengers
came in sight of a tiny town huddled in a cove almost at the water's
edge. Heading out seaward once more, Dr. Perkins dropped to the water in
the harbor, and then at reduced speed ran the _Sea Eagle_ up to the long
wharf 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 of
the town was on hand to greet them. Their approach through the air had
been 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 a
sensation Dr. Perkins' craft created.
But all eager questioners were waved aside while Dr. Perkins and his
young friends called for volunteers to help lift the injured man out of
the _Sea Eagle_. A dozen willing hands responded, and before long the
mate of the _Star of Gloucester_ was on his way to the hospital in a
wagon which had been hastily converted into an ambulance. It may be said
here that, thanks to the prompt manner in which aid had been secured for
him, the man recovered after a long illness, and was able to resume his
work on Captain Zebedee's ship, where he never tires of telling of how
he was saved by an aerial ambulance.
Dr. Perkins accompanied his patient to the hospital, where he saw him
comfortably settled. In the meantime Frank and Harry had been left on
guard with the _Sea Eagle_, for the crowd had grown so large, and so
curious, that it would not have been wise to have left the ship to the
mercies of the inquisitive. The boys answered a perfect hailstorm of
questions as good-naturedly as possible, but once or twice they had to
use physical means to keep the younger element of the population of
Bayhaven 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 a
fresh supply of provisions, with much delight. Leaving Dr. Perkins to
cope with the throng, the two boys, arm in arm, made their way through
the press and set off for the main street, which sloped up from the
wharf. One or two of the crowd followed them, gaping curiously at the
youthful aerial voyagers. But the boys were too used to the curiosity of
crowds to mind this, and before long their followers dropped back to
gape at the great flying machine.
They found the town a small, uninteresting place. There were several
shops, a hotel, with the usual group of loungers hanging about the
porch, and further back a canning factory, which gave employment, in one
way or another, to most of the inhabitants of Bayhaven. Beyond the hotel
was a big "general store." Entering it, the boys made a variety of
purchases, and arranged that the goods should be shipped to the _Sea
Eagle_ as soon as possible.
They were just leaving the place when out of the dusk--for by this time
it was getting late--there came a figure that caused both boys to come to
a dead stop in petrified astonishment. As for the man who had caused
their sudden stoppage he, for his part, appeared to be nonplussed for a
second. 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 they
had gone suddenly crazy, dashed out of the door of the emporium, and
taking the steps outside in one jump they made off in the direction in
which Duval, for there was no doubt it was he, had vanished. But as ill
luck would have it, the cannery whistle had just blown for the cessation
of the day's work, and round the corner there streamed a big crowd of
the employees.
It took the boys some time to work their way through the throng, for
some of the men were inclined to tease them by stepping in their way and
otherwise annoying them so that by the time they got through the crowd
all hope of catching, or even sighting, Duval was gone.
Greatly disappointed, and almost as much mystified by their sudden
encounter with the rascally Frenchman, the boys decided to turn back and
go down to the _Sea Eagle_. On their way they discussed Duval's sudden
reappearance 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 some
mischief or other. My! How he ran when he saw us."
"He had good reason to," declared Harry; "I guess we'd have had him
arrested if we'd ever caught him."
"Not much doubt of that," declared Frank; "we could have charged him
with the theft of that boat, anyhow, and that would have held him in the
custody of the authorities till we could have obtained further
evidence."
"Well, I don't imagine we'll see him again," decided Harry, as they
turned into the Main Street.
"No such luck," declared Frank.
But, after all, the boys were to see Duval again, and sooner than they
expected, too.