“Say, there have been some fearful explosions following some flashes of lightning,” said one of the other engineers. “Do you know anything about them?”
“We know all about them,” answered Dave. “We were close to them—in fact, too close for comfort.” And in a few brief words those who had come in told of what had occurred since Dave and Phil had gone on the search for their missing comrade.
“Lost your watch, eh, Dave?” said Ben. “That’s too bad! But maybe you’ll be able to find it after this storm clears away and when you are sure there won’t be any more explosions at that dump.”
All those left in the shelter of the cliff had donned their gas masks when told to do so by Phil. But Buster’s mask had not worked very well, and now the stout lad lay on a pile of brushwood looking anything but well.
“I guess I swallowed some of the gas, all right enough,” he said in a somewhat choked voice, while his eyes ran with tears. “You see, I couldn’t breathe very well, and so I tried to fix it. But I guess I made it worse.”
“If you got it, Buster, I guess the best thing we can do is to get you to the hospital as soon as possible,” said Dave quickly. And then he detailed Ben and Shadow for that work.
In a quarter of an hour the heavy rain ceased, and the entire party set off for camp through a misty drizzle, which was anything but cheering. Those who had taken charge of Buster set off in advance, supporting the heavy young engineer between them. They were followed by the others, all taking turns in carrying Roger.
“I don’t think that ankle is sprained so very badly after all,” announced the senator’s son. “And I am not going to the hospital unless I have to. I can bathe it and wrap it up in liniment, and maybe it will be all right in the morning.”
“And if it isn’t, Roger, I’ll see to it that you get a day’s rest,” answered Dave.
On arriving at the engineers’ camp, Dave made his report. Buster’s condition was immediately investigated, and then an ambulance was called, into which he was placed and carried to the nearest emergency hospital.