The Argosy, Volume XLIV — page 211: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE CRUISE OF after a fashion and made our way to Donaldson. He was wedged in between two trees, perfectly unconscious, though not, as 1 had feared, dead. It was with considerable difficulty that we at last extricated him, and then I realized that dnring the storm I had not seen or thought of the professor. “Where is Professor Balden?” I asked. “I have not seen him. Was he blown out to sea?” “IT think not,” replied Foster. “When we knew the big wind was com- ing, I heard him say something about the kaybee, and he started back toward camp.” * We’ve got to carry Donaldson to his house. Who is the best surgeon of the crowd? I couldn’t tell if a bone was broken.” “You could if it was your bone,” said Ross. “ I fancy the professor is the best man.” “Well, let’s get Donaldson on a stretcher and carry him home. We'll find the professor at the camp.” “T hope the Indian Ocean doesn’t take another breath like that while we are on it,” said Ross. “ That was a zephyr such as I never want to expe- rience again. Do you know, while I was hanging to that tree I felt conscience .stricken ? I began to think of all the bad jokes I’d made during my life. I sol- emnly promise you now that I'll reform. (ll never make a bad joke again as long as [ live. They'll all be good ones.” “How are we going to make a stretcher?” asked Foster. “ ‘The axes and ropes are in the camp.” “We ought to be able to carry Don- aldson that far,” I said. “ We’ve got to be careful, though.” “ Well, let’s hurry up. The man may die for want of proper care. I'll bet his daughter would be a better doctor than all three of us put together.” “TIT wonder how the Siren got through that blow,” said Ross. “ The launch is gone. I hope the yacht is safe.” “ Balfe knows his business,” I said. “TI have an idea he may have got out of the reach of the worst of it.” We picked Donaldson up as tenderly as we could, and started toward the camp. C; OuUgle THE HANDICAP. 207 It was no easy work carrying him without jolting out what little life was left. But we reached the camp only to find the professor lying unconscious be- side the tree to which his great kaybee had been fastened. “Now we are in for it,” said Foster. “"Two to carry a mile. I can under- stand, though, just what happened. See, this rope is severed by a knife, and there is the knife on the ground. “The professor, preferring to lose the kaybee rather than have him killed by the storm, has cut him loose, only to be knocked down and stunned himself. The kaybee, of course, with one leg fastened, would have died a horrible death, blown out to the limit of the rope, and its wings probably torn out. “ Now, :et’s see what to do. We’ve got to get both these poor fellows to the house. What sort of a litter can we rig “We could make a litter wide enough for them both,” I suggested, “but it would be inconvenient for. three to carry. The assistance of the third man would be practically wasted. My idea is two litters with rope harness holding them together at the ends. Then one of us could go ahead, another come in the middie with the rope harness to enable him to carry the ends of both litters, and the third man at the rear.” “Good idea,” said Ross. “ Get the axes and cut some poles.” It did not take long for us to cut four stout poles, and these we lashed to- gether with rope, interlacing it in much the same fashion as the olden time rope bedsteads were laced. Then we lifted Donaldson on one and the professor on the other. Foster took the forward end, Ross helped me get into the rope-harness in the middle, and Ross himself took the rear. In this way the solemn procession made its way through the woods, and, coming out on the view of the lake, we stood aghast, and almost dropped our burdens. The house was gone! ‘Disaster follows disaster! ” Foster. “I hope nothing has happened to Mary.” “Tf she went in the hole under the (GO) said MICO SS (GO) awa