“Where did you find it, and what are you going to do with it?”
“Just at present,” Ben answered, “I’m a life saving station. I’m taking this fellow down where he can get something to eat and drink. There’s no telling how long he’s been wandering about the mountains, but there’s no doubt that he’s about all in!”
Ben handed DuBois his bag and climbed into the seat with Jimmie. When the machine was well under way, cutting the freezing air of the mountaintop like a knife, the Englishman began begging to be lowered to the earth. He actually trembled every time the machine tipped in a current of air. Once or twice Ben steadied him with his hand.
“Let me out!” DuBois pleaded, his voice rising shrill above the din of the motors. “If I fall when I’m walking, don’t you know,” he went on, “I’m there on the ground, but if I fall when I’m riding on one of these blawsted airships, I’m there in the ground, don’t you know!”
“You’ll be all right as soon as you get your second wind!” exclaimed Ben. “It’s always a little shock at first!”
“Me second wind?” demanded the Englishman. “I got more than me second wind climbing the slope when I saw the embers of the fire you picked me out of.”
“Well, you’ll soon be at the camp,” Ben consoled, “and then you can tell us the story of your life if you want to.”
Carl and Mr. Havens were rather astonished at seeing the boys return with another stranger, a man who appeared to be both weak and discouraged.
“Now, I wonder what bush they picked that off from?” asked Carl as DuBois almost fell out of the seat. “Looks to me like they went and picked it before it was ripe.”
“I never saw anything like it,” replied Mr. Havens. “You boys find strangers at every turn of the road. You’ll go above clouds some day and find a couple of boys sitting on a fog bank!”