AN UNEXPECTED TRIBUTE
Alan gave little heed to these words. If Ned had sustained a severe injury the flight of the Ocean Flyer would come to an end at once. When the boys had removed his clothing, the first sight of the rescued boy’s leg was alarming. Midway between the knee and the thigh of the right leg there was almost a complete band of red bruised flesh, the indentation so deep and vivid that it resembled a cut. But the skin was not broken and there was no blood.
“It’ll be sore,” explained Bob; “good and sore. But there’s nothing to be scared about.” This he explained to the exhausted Ned. “And, with a wash of alcohol, a little massaging and rest,” he concluded, “he’ll be all right in a few hours except for a limp.”
While the boys washed and applied a light bandage to the bruised leg Ned told what had happened.
“Your ‘pick-up crane’ is a frost,” he attempted to call above to Roy in the pilot room as his spirits returned. “At least, it’ll have to be improved. It catches all right but it holds too good.”
“Too good?” laughed Alan who was already bringing circulation in Ned’s stiffened leg with gentle rubbing. “I reckon it wasn’t ‘too good’ for you. If it hadn’t held as it did you might have been ornamenting some Brooklyn church spire by this time.”
“Any way,” persisted Ned, “unless it is changed so that it releases its prey easier, we’ll have to add a platform below to carry an extractor. A rope ladder is a little risky for that work. I’ve had enough.”
“The crane fell and hit you, I suppose?” suggested Alan.
“It did,” answered Ned, “although it was all done so quickly that I didn’t get the full details,” and he laughed feebly. “When you fellows grabbed the package I let go and braced myself on the ladder to get my back under the bundle. While I was doin’ this something gave my legs a wallop. The crane had got loose and it fell. I was only payin’ attention to the ladder and the crane made a sneak on me. Anyway, the next thing I knew, to keep from fallin’, I had grabbed the crane and, talk about your trapezes! I made a swing with it that was a wonder.”
“That’s when I saw you,” exclaimed Alan. “I was just gettin’ the machine on her course up the Sound when that crane swung out in front of the car. I ain’t over it yet. You weren’t graceful and your hair was flyin’ but you were stickin’ all right.”