hoping shortly to
get out of range. Bill, at the rear hatch, called to Gus to set her and
come below, and Gus called back that they'd be aground again in a minute
if he did. Then a brave deed was done.

The girl, perhaps as fully aware of the danger as the boys, leaped into
the cabin, came out with two chairs and some cushions, erected a
barricade alongside of Gus and said to him:

"I want to get back and we can't stop, but most of all I want you to be
safe."

Then she gave a sudden cry and staggered into the cabin. Gus called
Bill, who limped across quickly. The shots continued, and one hit the
chairs. Gus wondered where it would have hit him. Presently they were
too far away for the shots to reach them, for they had entered the
narrow bay.

CHAPTER XXVIII

ANOTHER SCHEME

Bill was not cut out for a nurse. His sympathies were large, but his
fingers, deft at managing fine mechanical apparatus, were all thumbs
when it came to anything even remotely concerned with human anatomy. The
girl had been hit in the shoulder, undoubtedly a mere flesh wound, and
the bleeding must be stopped. Lucy was very pale, but there was never a
tear, nor the least indication of her fainting. She merely held her arm
down and watched, with most rueful countenance, the blood dripping from
her finger tips upon the polished floor.

"I'll get Gus," said Bill, almost ready to weep at the sight the girl
presented. She had torn her dress from her shoulder and a seared gash
was disclosed which she could not well observe.

Gus pointed out the course to Bill, then went into the cabin. In a
minute or less he had searched and obtained clean rags, torn strips from
them, found a nearly exhausted bottle of vaseline, coated the rag with
it and, with a deftness almost worthy of a surgeon, washed the wound
with a quick sopping of gasoline. Then as more blood was flowing, he
bound up the shoulder and arm so that the flow stopped and by its
coagulation germs were excluded. Whereupon Lucy sought a couch where she
lay, exhausted, and with a decided desire to cry, while Gus went back to
the wheel.

* * * * *

"You shall hear from father and mother and all of us. They will be here
early and father must see you." This was the very earnest declaration of
the elder Waring sister, a young woman of twenty-five or more, "I cannot
alone express our thanks