The eyes fluttered open, the lips trembled.
Larry, clinging to a brace, his feet set on a strut, bent closer.
“What happened? Who done this?” repeated Jeff.
The man, before he sank again into silence, uttered one word—or half a word:
“Gast—” he muttered.
“Gast—was it somebody named Gaston?” asked Jeff.
The man did not respond.
“Never mind,” Larry urged. “Can you get him into the boat, somehow, Jeff? You ought to land him at a hospital—or at the nearest airport. There’s a medical officer at every one—for crack-ups. Or, fly and telephone for help!”
“Would you be afraid to stay here if I take him to an airport?”
“No!” declared Larry, stoutly.