“Well, I believe they are going to quit,” he said. “I wonder how many fellows have seen anything like this. Three dreadnaughts and a Zeppelin sunk and wrecked, and I don’t know which is which or who is who. It doesn’t much matter to us, however. However long or short I live, I’ll never forget it. Never! Just think of it, Velo; three ships of the line, and a flyer.” He turned to the opposite direction, scanning the sea with keen eyes.
“Yes, sure enough, here comes the Red Cross! The fight is over. She is going to pass us. That’s pretty fine, isn’t it, Velo? Don’t that make you feel warm all over?”
“She may not stop,” said Velo gloomily.
“A Red Cross ship pass all this bunch swimming around here without stopping to pick them up? You are crazy!”
“There are not so very many,” insisted Velo.
“They will stop to pick you up if all the rest of us go down before they get here,” said Zaidos patiently. “You have the life belt, Velo, so don’t worry any more than you have to.”
A silence followed. After the wild racket of the guns, it seemed as though the sea itself whispered. On and on came the Red Cross ship. It approached so near that they could see that a couple of boats were being lowered. They were gasoline launches, and they raced here and there, pausing every little while to pick up a survivor. As they approached Zaidos and his cousin, Velo commenced to scream in a weak voice. Zaidos sighed, but said nothing.
When the nearest launch approached them, Velo thrust him back and left him swimming while he, with his life belt, was lifted over the side. But a sailor had Zaidos by the shoulder. It was well, for the boy was at the point of exhaustion, and as he felt himself drawn into the boat, he found a sudden darkness settle over everything, and he sank back unconscious into the arms of a doctor.
When he opened his eyes, he was in the clean, airy, floating hospital. It took a little thought for Zaidos to recollect where he was. When he did so, he made an effort to arise. To his great surprise, he could not move. He threw back the covers. His leg was in splints. He stared at it with surprise.
A nurse came up. “How did that happen?” he demanded. “What ails my leg anyhow?”