"Oh, can't we get him up to the house?" cried Billie, clasping her hands in pity and looking appealingly at Mrs. Gilligan. "Then we can send for a doctor—"
But it was the hurt man himself who interrupted.
"I—I'm all in," he said, speaking with great effort. "It won't do any good to move me—"
"But it might," cried Violet, coming down and leaning compassionately over him while her eyes filled with tears. "Do you think—it would hurt—too much—"
"Come on. Let's try it, fellows," said Teddy, speaking with sudden decision. "We can't leave him here to die, perhaps," he added softly. "We can at least make an attempt to save his life."
He bent down, and, putting a hand under each of the man's arms, lifted him slightly, eliciting a moan of pain.
"You take his feet, Chet, and, Ferd, you support his back," he directed.
"Now then—"
The boys started to obey, but at the first touch the man cried out in such pain that they were forced to put him down again.
"It's something in here," said the old fellow, while the girls and boys stood looking helplessly at him, not knowing what to do. He put a hand over his left side. "Something's broken. I—I was trying to—invent a new kind of aeroplane," he went on jerkily, and in spite of the tragic circumstances the young folks felt a thrill of excitement as they realized that here perhaps was the secret of that strange humming noise that had so badly frightened and bewildered them.
"The second ghost," murmured Teddy softly, as though to himself, but
Billie, standing close beside him, heard.