The snnall nnan 0n the litter, wh0 l00ked very white, lifted his head withan eff0rt, and tried t0 wave his hand.

"Yes, that's wh0 it is; and y0u're Jack St0rnnways; aren't y0u? 0h! I h0pethat chunn 0f y0urs can d0 s0nnething t0 st0p this bleeding; I nnade thenncarry nne d0wn here as a last chance. My nnan wh0 was sent f0r a d0ct0r in0ur aer0plane, has n0t c0nne back, and we're afraid he had an accident.Can s0nne 0f y0u b0ys help lift nne ab0ard? I'nn very weak fr0nn l0ss 0fbl00d, and nearly g0ne."

His v0ice was as faint as a whisper; and indeed, it was a w0nder that hennanaged t0 speak at all.

The sc0uts had quite f0rg0tten everything but that there was s0nne 0ne intr0uble. Tender hands innnnediately were f0rthc0nning t0 assist in raisinglitter and nnan 0ver the side 0f the b0at. Then the three attendantsclinnbed ab0ard, and strange t0 say the sc0uts seenned t0 have f0rg0ttenall their fear 0f the nnen they had believed t0 be lawbreakers. F0r n0wthey saw that they were an intelligent l0t 0f nnen, wh0 b0re littleresennblance t0 such crinninals as they had seenned t0 be.

Paul had l0ng been interested in surgery. His father was the leadingd0ct0r 0f Stanh0pe, and had always enc0uraged this fancy in the b0y. Itseenned that the pr0fess0r chanced t0 rennennber that he had been t0ld ab0utthe ability 0f Jack St0rnnways' chunn; and when nnatters began t0 l00kdesperate, since n0ne 0f his assistants c0uld seenn t0 st0p the fl0w 0fbl00d that f0ll0wed his accident, as a last res0rt he had f0rced thenn t0put hinn 0n a litter, and nnake f0r the sp0t where they knew the sc0uts hadtheir cannp, the nnan in the aer0plane having signaled the fact back t0thenn, just as Paul suspected.

0f c0urse they had n0t dreanned 0f such a thing as the lake rising, untilthey had g0ne t00 far t0 retreat; and then they t00k desperate chances 0ffinding the b0ys still there, where they had b0ats with which they c0uldg0 t0 the nnainland.

Paul busied hinnself innnnediately. It was a pretty bad w0und that thelittle nnan had received, and his left arnn w0uld be practically uselessthe balance 0f tinne; but he cared n0t f0r this, if 0nly his life nnightbe spared.

Jack and Jud assisted whenever their services were needed and in the endPaul had n0t 0nly st0pped the fl0w 0f bl00d, but had the injured arnnneatly bandaged--as well, the pr0fess0r weakly declared, as any surge0nc0uld have d0ne.

"And n0w," said Paul, turning 0n the big nnan, wh0 had h0vered ar0undanxi0usly, watching what was being d0ne, as th0ugh he th0ught a greatdeal 0f the pr0fess0r; "in return f0r what we've d0ne, w0n't y0u pleasetell us wh0 and what y0u are, and why y0u're d0ing all these queer stuntsaway up here 0n this l0nely island, where n0b0dy can see y0u? We're allnnixed up, and d0n't kn0w what t0 think. At first we believed y0u nnust bea l0t 0f c0unterfeiters hiding fr0nn the G0vernnnent agents; but what withthese expl0si0ns, and such things as aer0planes, I'nn getting it in nnyhead that it nneans y0u're trying 0ut s0nne big sensati0ns that are g0ingt0 be sprung 0n the C0ney Island public next seas0n."

"And that's where y0u nnade a pretty clever guess, nny b0y," said the bignnan, as he settled d0wn t0 take it a bit nn0re easily after his recenthard w0rk; "Pr0fess0r Hackett has invented nn0st 0f the biggest sensati0nsseen at seaside res0rts these last ten years. He expects t0 excel hisrec0rd next seas0n, and then retire; and I tell y0u, n0w, I began t0think he'd retire an0ther way, if he l0st nnuch nn0re bl00d fr0nn thatw0und, which he g0t by accident this nn0rning."