CHAPTER XXXII
SAVING UNCLE EZRA
For a moment those aboard Dick's airship uttered not a sound. Then, asthey saw the rival craft sifting slowly downward, gliding from side toside like a sheet of paper, they looked at one another with horror intheir eyes. It seemed such a terrible end.
Dick was the first to speak.
"We'll have to go down and help them," he said simply. "Some of themmay be--alive!"
It meant stopping the race, it meant making the last of the twolandings allowed them. And it was a landing in a wild and desolateplace, seemingly, for there was no sign of city or town below them. Andjust now, after her repairs, when everything was running smoothly, itbehooved Dick and his associates to take advantage of every mile andminute they could gain. Otherwise some other craft might get in aheadof them.
Yet Dick had said they must go down. There was no other course leftthem, in the name of humanity. As the young millionaire had observed,some of those in the wrecked airship might be alive. They mightsurvive the fall, great as it was.
"Send her down, Mr. Vardon," said Dick quietly. "We may be able tosave some of them."
If he thought that possibly he was losing his last chance to win thetrans-continental race, he said nothing about it.
The motor was shut off, and there was silence aboard the Abaris. No onefelt like talking. As they volplaned downward they saw the wreck ofthe Larabee strike the outer branches of a big tree, and then turn overagain before crashing to the ground.
"She may catch fire from the gasolene," said Dick, in a tense voice."We ought to hurry all we can."
"I could go down faster," said Mr. Vardon, "by starting up the motor.But I don't like to until I see what sort of landing ground we'll have."
"No, it's wiser to go a bit slowly," agreed Lieutenant McBride. "Wemust save ourselves in order to save them--if possible. It's aterrible accident!"
As they came nearer earth they saw a comparatively smooth and levelspot amid a clearing of trees. It was not far from where the wrecklay, a crumpled-up mass. Down floated the Abaris gently, and hardlyhad she ceased rolling along on her wheels that Dick and the othersrushed out to lend their aid to Uncle Ezra and the others.
Dick's uncle lay at some little distance from the broken craft.
"He's alive," said his nephew, feeling of the old man's heart. "He'sstill breathing."
Lieutenant Wilson, as the name of the army officer on the Larabee waslearned later to be, seemed quite badly injured. He was tangled up inthe wreckage, and it took some work to extricate him. Larson was themost severely hurt. He was tenderly placed to one side. Fortunatelythe wreck had not caught fire.
"Let's see if we can revive them," suggested Lieutenant McBride,nodding toward Uncle Ezra and his fellow soldiers. "Then we willconsider what is best to do."
Simple restoratives were carried aboard Dick's airship, and these weregiven to Uncle Ezra, who revived first. He opened his eyes and sat up.
"Where--where am I?" he stammered. "Did I win the race?"
"No, Uncle Ezra, I'm sorry to say you didn't," answered Dick, gently."There was an accident, and your airship is smashed."
The old man slowly looked over to the crumpled mass of planes andmachinery, and then, slowly and painfully, for he was much bruised, hepulled a note-book from his pocket. Leafing over the pages heannounced:
"Busted to smithereens, and she cost me exactly eleven thousand fivehundred and thirty-three dollars and nineteen cents! Oh, what a lot ofmoney!" And the expression on his face was so painful that Dick feltinclined to laugh, solemn as the occasion was. But he restrainedhimself.
"Where's that fellow Larson?" asked Uncle Ezra.
"Badly hurt," said Dick, quietly.
"Oh, well, then I won't say anything," murmured the old man. "Oh, whata trip it was!"
"Are you much hurt?" asked Dick.
It did not appear that his uncle was. The fall had been a lucky onefor him. His helmet had protected his head, and he had on two suits ofclothes, well padded. The others were dressed likewise, but it had notsaved Larson.
Lieutenant Wilson's most serious injury was a broken leg, but he wasalso otherwise hurt. He soon recovered consciousness, and said:
"Please don't misjudge me. I could not stop Larson from trying to ramyou. He was insane, I guess. We have had a terrible time with him.He was mad to try to win this race. We remonstrated with him when hesailed toward you, but he said he was only trying to show you what asuperior machine he had, and how much better his mercury stabilizersworked than your gyroscope. But I really fear he meant you someinjury."
"I think so, too," said Lieutenant McBride, "and I am glad to learn noone else was in the plot."
"And his own foolish actions were the cause of this wreck," went onLieutenant Wilson. "He said he was sure of winning after he had leftyou behind, and he wanted to try some experiments in quick turns. Hemade one too quick, and broke off one of the planes."
"Well, we must consider what is to be done," said Mr. Vardon. "We mustget you all to a hospital and a doctor, at once."
"Don't mind about me," replied Lieutenant Wilson, gamely. "If you cansend me help, do so, but don't delay here. Go on and win the race.You have the best chance, I believe."
"We don't go on until we see you cared for," spoke Dick. "We wouldtake you all with us, only it might endanger you."
"Well, I wish you'd take me!" exclaimed Uncle Ezra, limping about. "Iwant to get back home. Nephew Richard, I'm sorry I tried to beat youin this race."
"That's all right, Uncle Ezra," answered the young millionaire. "Youhad as good a right to try for the prize as I did."
"But I want to say I didn't have no hand in trying to butt into you,"went on Mr. Larabee. "It was all that--that unfortunate man's idea,"he added more softly, as he gazed at Larson who was still unconscious."Dick, will you forgive me, and shake hands?"
"Surely, Uncle Ezra," and as their hands met, Grit, who had been eyeingMr. Larabee narrowly, uttered a joyful bark, and actually wagged histail at Uncle Ezra.
"Grit, you shake hands, too," ordered Dick, and though Uncle Ezra was alittle diffident at first, he grasped the extended paw of the bulldog.They were friends for the first time.
"We could take Uncle Ezra in the airship," said Paul, after a pause,"and if we could only send out a call for help for Lieutenant Wilsonand Larson, they would be looked after."
"There's an army post not far from here," spoke Wilson. "If you couldmake a trip there--"
"We'd have to land again, to summon aid, and this is the last stop weare allowed in the race," said Mr. Vardon. "I don't see how--"
"Your wireless!" interrupted Lieutenant McBride. "We can send out acall to the army post by that--if they have a wireless station."
"They have," answered Lieutenant Wilson, as his fellow officer lookedat him. "If you will summon aid from there, we will be well taken careof."
"Good!" cried Dick. "That problem is solved."
The wireless apparatus was brought out, the small balloon inflated, andit carried aloft the aerials. Then, while the call for aid was beingsent out, Lieutenants Wilson and Larson were made as comfortable aspossible, and some of Uncle Ezra's scratches and bruises were lookedafter.
"No more airships for me," he said bitterly, though with a chastenedspirit. "I'm going to stick to farming, and my woolen mill. Justthink of it--over eleven thousand dollars in that pile of--junk!" andhe shook his head sadly at the wreck of his airship.
"We'll take you on to San Francisco with us, if you like," said Dick."You can see us win the race--if we can," he added.
"You still have an excellent chance," said Lieutenant McBride. "Myadvice to you would be to remain here a few days to rest up and makesure all your machinery is in good order. The time will not countagainst you. By that time the injured ones will be cared for. Thenyou can go on again and complete the course. You have enough oil andgasolene, have you not?"
"We could ask th
at some be brought from the army post, if we have not,"Dick answered. "I think we will adopt that plan.''
"And I--I hope you win," said Uncle Ezra. "I'd like to see that twentythousand dollars come into the family, anyhow," he added, with amountainous sigh.