CHAPTER X
FIRST AID AND AN ESCAPE
"Oh! Oh! Oh!" came the cries of pain. "Oh! Oh! Oh!"
Quickly Jack's hand stole toward the switch that controlled the overheadlights. Instantly the cabin was a blaze of light.
"What's the matter?" cried the boy looking toward the source of thedisturbance. "What's going on here, anyway?"
Rowdy bounded off his bed and dashed toward the forward cabin with a vimand energy that bespoke ill for someone.
"Here, Rowdy," commanded Arnold, "come here, sir."
Slowly the dog returned to his master's side. The hair on his shoulderswas standing straight on end while hoarse growls issued in thunderoustones from his throat around which the muscles tightened in anticipationof a desperate struggle with an enemy.
"There's someone in there," declared Harry in a tone of discovery."Somebody came aboard while we were asleep."
"Sure enough," scorned Tom rumpling Harry's usually smooth hair. "Whatdid you suppose was making all that noise, friend?"
"Well, there is someone in there," stoutly maintained Harry.
"Hush, boys," commanded Jack. "Let's see who it is."
Automatics were produced from under pillows and the boys moved forwardto investigate. The cries still came loudly.
"Who are you and what do you want?" questioned Jack.
"Oh, help me, help me," groaned the figure lying at the foot of thecompanion-way. "Help me, I'm hurt badly."
"Where are you hurt?" inquired Jack solicitously bending over theprostrate form curled in a heap. "I'll help you if I can."
"My foot, oh, my foot," wailed the stranger. "It's cut off."
"Look at the blood," declared Frank. "Good gracious, that's a bad wound.Wonder how he got it. How did he get aboard?"
"There's something sticking into his foot," cried Harry. "Look at thatthing projecting from his foot. No wonder it bleeds."
Frank and Jack exchanged glances and then at the whispered command ofFrank, Jack quickly sat on the head of their visitor while Tom and Harrythrew themselves upon his leg. Frank stooped, grasped the foot with onehand and with the other wrenched quickly at the thing that wasprotruding through the foot of the boy.
A shriek of agony told of the pain he had caused. Frank shook his headin pity at the suffering he had brought about. He glanced at the objecthe held in his hand, then sat down upon a locker and gave vent to shoutafter shout of laughter. The boys gazed in open mouthed wonder at thespectacle. Frank's laugh was hearty.
"Frank," cried Jack wonderingly, "what's the matter? Have you gone plumbcrazy or are you enjoying this boy's suffering?"
"Neither," asserted Frank. "I think we'll give a little first aid andthen thank Arnold here for catching the thief."
"Thank me?" queried Arnold. "I didn't catch him."
"Yes, you did," declared Frank. "But now to help him a bit."
"How shall we treat the foot?" asked Tom gazing ruefully at the deck,now becoming crimson under the stain of blood.
"Get a basin and then some hot water," directed Frank. "I think we'dbetter wash this out first and then put in some disinfectant. Have yougot something to cleanse the wound?"
"Surely have," was Tom's confident answer. "Got a whole chest full ofdope here. Help yourself to anything you want!"
"Let's put in a lot of turpentine," suggested Harry. "That's good forsnake-bite and other things. We've got plenty of it, too."
Frank took charge of the injured lad, bathing and cleansing the woundedfoot. He prepared to bandage the member after giving it a liberalapplication of turpentine. As he was about to put the bandage in placeHarry offered another suggestion.
"Let's put on some of that fat salt pork. I got a rusty nail in my footonce and that's what they put on me."
"Did it work?" asked Tom. "I mean the pork, of course."
"Of course it worked," stoutly maintained Harry.
"All right, then, put on a slice of pork. It surely can't do any harmand may draw out the poison from the foot."
"What poison?" queried Arnold. "What did he step on?"
"I told you," stated Frank in a positive tone, "that Arnold capturedthis fellow. When you know the facts, you'll agree."
"Let me mop up this smear on the floor," suggested Tom, bringing hotwater, "and then we'll all listen. Who's the Sherlock?"
"Take cold water, Tom, for that spot on the floor," was Frank'ssuggestion. "If you don't the place will be discolored."
"Sure enough, I guess I'm getting old and forgetful," laughed Tom."We've had enough excitement today to make me forget most everything, Iguess. Tell you what, I'm sleepy, too."
"Now tell us how you happened to say that Arnold caught this chap," Jackdemanded of Frank when the stranger had been placed in a comfortableposition and the boys had gathered in the after cabin. "I thought Arnoldwas in the bunk when it happened."
"Well, boys," began Frank producing the object he had taken from thevisitor's foot, "Arnold discovered the horse buried upside down in thesand on Petit Bois and he insisted on bringing the shell."
"All as plain as mud," shouted Arnold. "I left the horseshoe crab shellin the forward cabin. It must have got kicked about during the eveningand left with the tail sticking straight up. When this fellow came downthe steps, he landed on it kerplunk."
"Right-O!" declared Frank. "At least," he continued, "that's mydeduction. If anyone has a better explanation, let him give it."
None was offered, however, the boys seeming to agree that Arnold'sexplanation had been correct. They all waited to hear further fromFrank. He noticed their hesitation and continued:
"I think it would be a good idea to go and interview this lad. He looksto me like a tough customer here for no good."
This suggestion met with instant approval. The boys crowded forwardeagerly. One or two automatics were displayed.
"Hello, what's this," questioned Harry, picking up an object from thebunk beside the visitor who was lying on his side.
"Why, it's a piece of raw meat," he exclaimed. "Where did that comefrom? We haven't any beef aboard, have we?"
"Not that I know of," answered Arnold. "It's only a small piece. Give itto Rowdy. He needs a lunch."
"Stop," shouted Jack. "Don't give that to Rowdy."
"Why not?" Arnold questioned in a surprised tone.
"Maybe this chap brought it aboard for that very purpose!"
"What a numbskull I am," scolded Arnold. "Here I might have killed ourbest friend. I must get the habit of thinking."
"How about it, friend?" queried Jack shaking the stranger by theshoulder. "What have you got on the meat?"
"Nothing," stoutly declared the newcomer, keeping his face turned towardthe bulkhead. "I have nothing on it."
"I see," scorned Jack. "You intended to bring the meat aboard to use fora sandwich for yourself. You were about to use our kitchenette for awhile, then you would have gone on peaceably."
No answer was vouchsafed to this sally and Jack continued:
"You might as well make a clean breast of the whole matter. We know you.You were aboard our boat once before. We are several gallons of gasolineshort because of your kindness. 'Fess up, now."
"I guess I know a way to make him talk," declared Frank. "Come hereuntil I suggest a method that I hope will be effective."
Frank and Jack withdrew a little from the group about the berth holdingthe stranger. After a moment's consultation they returned and Jack againaddressed the injured boy in a friendly tone:
"Come, now, Carlos Madero, or whatever your name may be, we want totreat you right, but we're going to have some information if we have towring your neck to get it. We don't care about doing you any harm,especially since you're already wounded, but you will have to explainyour presence here at this hour of the night. Why did you come aboardbarefooted and unannounced?"
"I am not afraid of your threats. You can't do anything to me. Besides,you're Boy Scouts and you wouldn't harm me."
"Never mind about that just now," in
terrupted Jack. "We can protectourselves even if we are Boy Scouts. You'll learn that."
"Sure he'll learn it," chimed in Tom. "He'd better not monkey too farwith this crowd. We'll make him eat that meat."
"God idea," declared Jack. "Arnold, please start the coils and fry thischunk of meat for out friend. He's hungry."
With these words, Jack drew an automatic and displayed it for thebenefit of the visitor. He had no intention of using the weapon, butfelt it might have a salutary effect. In this he was right.
"I can't eat it," cried the boy. "It's poisoned."
"Ah, ha," gloated Jack. "I thought so."
"Oh, please let me go away," begged the lad. "I'll promise not to doanything against you again. I'll never bother you at all."
"We don't want to do anything rash," Frank suggested. "We won't harm youif you'll agree not to injure us, but we must know why you came aboardtonight as you did and what your purpose was."
"Wyckoff made me," groaned the boy covering his face with his hands."There," he cried sitting up in bed, "now I've told, he'll kill me sure.Oh, I'm in trouble now."
"Not so you could notice it," gritted Jack, taking a firmer hold on hisautomatic. "If Wyckoff tries any of his dirty tricks around here, we'llfill him so full of holes he'll leak straw."
"You don't know him," shuddered the boy. "He's a desperate man. He shota nigger once just because the fellow disputed Wyckoff about a match.He's a bad, bad man. I know him."
"And still he had the nerve to tell us on Petit Bois that his hands wereclean," scornfully declared Jack. "He makes me sick."
"Oh, have you seen him?" questioned Carlos.
"He didn't tell me that! He just told me what I must do."
"What did he tell you to do?" inquired Frank not unkindly.
"He said that in the after cabin of this boat under the floor boards Iwould find a plug driven into the skin of the boat to fill an augerhole.
"He directed me to remove that plug carefully and swim ashore. I was notto awaken you but to get away quietly."
"Well, you surely were the pussy-footed little sleuth," declared Harry."It would have been impossible to hear you more than forty or fiftymiles away. There's nothing the matter with that voice of yours. I knowan auctioneer who could use that noise."
"Don't rub it in, Harry," advised Tom. "The poor lad is having troublesof his own right now as it is. He's all in."
"He brought it on himself," maintained Harry. "He wasn't invited aboard.If he'd stayed away, this never would have happened."
"I know," soothed Tom, "and you'll find that most of the troubles we getinto are caused by our own acts. I'm sleepy. Move we postpone this thirddegree business until morning."
"Second the motion," declared Harry. "Let's set a guard over theprisoner and go back to sleep. I'm all in, myself."
The suggestion met with the approval of all the boys. They were tiredafter their long and strenuous day and needed rest badly.
Arnold, feeling elated because his crab shell had been the means oftrapping the midnight visitor, volunteered to act as guard during thefirst watch. He stoutly maintained that he was not sleepy and would beonly too glad of the chance to watch.
The poisoned meat was thrown overboard and quiet reigned again.
Frank awoke and stretched himself. Then he reached across to the bunkoccupied by Jack and shook that worthy by the arm.
"Let's get up and visit the hospital," he suggested, springing up.
Arnold sat sleeping on the bunk. The prisoner was gone!