CHAPTER XII. SAVED FROM THE RUINS.
"The groans seem to come from over there," said Harry, after an intervalof searching among the scattered beams and timbers.
"Where?"
"Right there where the remains of that stone chimney are standing. Phew!what a strong odor! It makes my head ache."
"Dynamite," was Ralph's brief response; "that shows I was right. It wasdynamite that blew up the hut."
Right by the chimney that Harry Ware had indicated was a confused pileof boards and scantlings. As the boys reached the spot a hollow moancame from beneath the tumbled mass of wreckage.
"Here, boys! It's right under here!" cried Ralph. "Hurry now and tearthis stuff away. It may be a matter of life and death."
The boys worked feverishly for a few minutes and then they uncovered anarm, and a minute later an unconscious form was stretched out beforetheir eyes.
"Why, it's a boy!" exclaimed Percy Simmons, as the white face of theinanimate form was illumined by a faint glow from the smoldering hut.
"So it is. Just a kid. See, there's a bucket over there and a wellyonder. Make haste and get some water, Harry," said Ralph. "We'll bathethis cut on his forehead."
"Poor little fellow, he looks about all in," said Percy Simmons, asHarry hurried off on his errand of mercy.
"I'm not so sure about that. He may have only been knocked unconsciouswhen those beams fell on him," replied Ralph hopefully. "I can find notrace of broken bones."
"Well, that's good, anyhow. See, here comes Harry back with the water.What now?"
"We must bathe the wound and then try to get him to a doctor," was thereply.
"A doctor?"
"Certainly. He needs medical attendance. We can only give first aidmeasures."
"But there's no doctor nearer than Piquetville."
"Think again."
"What do you mean?"
"Why, on North Twin Island, not far from us, Dr. Chadwick has a summerhome. He arrived there two days ago. We'll take this boy there, and seewhat can be done for him."
While this conversation was going on Ralph had been tenderly bathing thelittle lad's wound, while the others supported his limp frame. Heappeared to be hardly more than eleven or twelve years old, with ameager, starved-looking little body; but his hands were cruelly scarredand mauled as if by hard work. His feet and calves were bare and atattered shirt and torn trousers formed his sole garments. Altogether,it was a forlorn little scarecrow that they bent over in the dim lightof the ruins.
All this time they had forgotten completely about the man they had leftbehind them, felled by Ralph's necessary blow. He now was recalledabruptly to their recollection by no less a circumstance than hisarrival on the scene.
"What are you doing with that boy?" he demanded roughly.
"Trying to do the best we can to patch him up till we get him to adoctor," said Ralph sharply. "Did you know he was in the ruins?"
"What is that to you if I did or not?" grumbled the man. "If you mustknow, I was looking for him when you came up and interfered."
"And you wasted valuable time which might, for all you knew, have cost ahuman life, in quarreling with us? You're a fine specimen--not!" growledout Ralph. He was mad clear through at the other's brutal cynicism. Buthe was to get madder still presently.
"Don't you dare take that boy off this island," the man saidperemptorily.
"And why not?" demanded Ralph. "Surely it's plain enough, even to ascallous a being as you are, that he needs medical attention."
"I can attend to him. If you take him away from here, you do it at yourperil," was the extraordinary reply.
"Great Scott, man, do you call yourself a human being?" burst out PercySimmons.
"Come on. Pick him up and carry him down to the boat. Easy now, don'tshake him," said Ralph as, after bandaging the lad's head with hishandkerchief, he issued the order to his chums, ignoring the manutterly. The fellow fumed as Percy Simmons and Harry Ware took theinjured lad's head and feet and started off for the boat.
"Put down that boy!" he screamed.
"By what authority?" demanded Ralph.
"By mine. I'm his father."
"Then you must have married mighty early. You don't look much overtwenty-one or so."
"Confound your impudence!" shrieked out the man. "How dare you come hereand kidnap my son?"
"Oh, we're not kidnapping. We are taking him to Dr. Chadwick on NorthTwin Island. He may decide that he must go to a hospital. If the doctordoes order this we will inform you. Will you let us have your name?"
"I will not," shouted the man. "I warn you that you are law-breakers.You'll be punished for this. I'll see to that, if it takes me thelongest day I ever live!"
"Then you'll have to wait till the time that men or boys are to bepunished for saving lives," flung back Ralph scornfully, as they madetheir way to the landing.
The man offered no further objections to their taking the boy. Possiblyhe had had his lesson already and found out that instead of three mereboys, he had tackled lads who had seen enough of peril and adventure torender them capable of rising to almost any emergency that might presentitself.
Nevertheless, he followed them to the dock and watched without commentwhile they stowed the lad as comfortably as they could on the floor ofthe little tender, using the cushions off the seats so that he mightrest the more easily.
"We'll let you hear from us in the morning," cried Ralph, as they shovedoff, the man still remaining in silence on the dock.
"Don't you dare to come back here again," he bawled in reply. "If youdo, I shan't be alone."
"Perhaps we shan't be, either," shot back Ralph, as he fell to work onthe oars.
With this parting dart, they left the strange man of Windmill Islandsilhouetted against the glowing remains of his hut. As long as theycould see him, he stood motionless there, watching the receding boat.
"Well, if this isn't a night of adventures and mysteries, jumbled uplike a tangled fishing line, I'd like to know," exclaimed Percy Simmonsfeelingly, as the boat moved slowly through the water.