Still another officer who came up took care of Bob and saw that he was safely returned to his station.
An ambulance drove up and carried the unconscious Patrolman Smith to the hospital. He was found to be severely injured and had to undergo a serious operation.
On recovering consciousness, as he lay on the hospital cot, his first question was, “Did we get that runaway?”
What do you suppose his second question was?
“Is Bob all right?”
When the nurse answered “yes” to both his questions, he went to sleep again satisfied. He had performed his duty.
His head proved to be so badly hurt that the doctors had to patch it, using for this purpose a little plate of silver.
The thing that pleased him most while he was getting well was the big bouquet of flowers that came from his school.
Some weeks later, the brave officer was discharged from the hospital, cured. One day, to the children’s delight, he appeared again on duty at the crossing.
It was the same Patrolman Smith, spick and span, but thinner and paler. He had lost his sunburn in the hospital.