“Yes, yes, your pardon. My child, we live in the mountains below the pass, and my child is dying. The doctor say something in the tube will save his life—I have the tube—but the hours are passing and I cannot drive home quickly enough. In the town they say you are an American, a clever man, and you have a plane. Please, I beg of you delay not. I will pay you well—”
“You mean that you want me to take the stuff to where your baby is?” Jim asked, any suspicion of the man completely dispelled by his very evident anxiety.
“Of a certainty,” Gonzalas told him. “Please, my wife—it is our first born—he had the soft eyes like a fawn, and his life it is ebbing away from us—so helpless we are to save him.”
“My brother has the plane and I don’t expect him home for a couple of hours at least,” Jim explained.
“Oh, my God!” The man flopped into the chair, buried his head on his arm and cried bitterly. “My little son,” he moaned.
“But there are other planes in Cuzco,” Jim reminded him. “You could telephone from here and I am sure that someone will take it for you.”
“Three I have tried,” the man sighed hopelessly. He gave the names of men who owned machines. “One, she has broken her wing, two she is far to the north, three leave one hour ago for Panama. Nothing I can do. Oh, my God, my little son!” Then, suddenly Jim remembered the De Castro’s plane. He was positive they would have no objection to his taking it to save the child’s life.
“How far is it?” he asked.
“One hundred and fifty miles. Senor, you have a good heart. You do not help because you cannot.” He started to leave and his feet dragged as if they were weighted with lead.
“Just a minute. The folks here have a machine. I’ll use that,” he promised quickly. “Wait for me!” He raced up stairs, put his books and instruments out of harm’s way, slipped into his aviation suit, and then hurried back to the distracted father who was fervently counting his beads as he murmured prayers of thankfulness. At the reappearance of the Flying Buddy, who looked like a young Viking, the man leaped to his feet, caught the lad’s hand and embarrassed him indescribably by kissing it fervently.