“Say, mister, how did you get out of it?” asked the interested Hiram.
“The Flying Scud was rolling like a dancing sailor. I thought it was the last of Jabez Hull, yours truly. As she sided over, I strapped a life belt on me and dropped into the sea. Well, to make a long story short, I landed on this island. The next morning I found the old ship a wreck but her bow out of water, down on the beach yonder. She’s been there since. Can’t be budged, can’t be used, but I’ve been breaking her up to build some kind of a craft to get away in. Then, too, I’ve got food and furniture for my camp here. I ain’t much of a ship carpenter and got sort of discouraged, and for a week I’ve got busy and burned up a barrel of tar as a beacon.”
The boys pulled the Comet into view when they reached the spot where they had stowed it. The flare from the beacon enabled a full view of the biplane. It seemed as though Jabez Hull would never cease staring at it. He forgot all about his own forlorn situation in asking half a hundred wondering questions as to the machine and what it could do.
When he led the airship boys down the beach and showed them the wreck, it was their turn to become interested. What pleased the young aviators most of all was the discovery of a small portable forge. This the castaway had removed from the ship to assist in building his boat of escape. This, scarcely begun, was lying on the sand.
“Fellows,” said Dave, to his assistants, “this is a great stroke of luck for us. We can repair the machine in a good way, with a forge and tools to help us.”
“Yes, and there’s a whole tank of gasoline aboard the Flying Scud,” volunteered Hull.
The boys went back with the castaway to his camp. No one thought of sleeping amid the excitement of the occasion.
“We must get up early in the morning,” said Dave. “We must lose no time in starting on our way.”
“See here,” spoke up the castaway; “I suppose there’s no chance of my thinking of having a show to get away from here with you?”
“We shall certainly try to find a place for you,” replied Dave, promptly.