“WHAT’S THE ROW, SIR?”
O’Neil raised his voice and shouted “Junsa” at the top of his lungs several times. Immediately the crowd moved backward. Three or four policemen (Junsa) appeared suddenly as if they had leaped from within the earth and cleared the way in front of the machine.
“Tell them we’ll answer for his appearance before the authorities,” Phil said to O’Neil, in his excitement, believing that O’Neil could interpret for him. However, he was not far wrong, for the sailor’s sign language was quite clear enough.
“Blow your horn and beat it, mister,” O’Neil sharply directed the driver of the car. “It’s getting to be a habit with you, I see,” he added maliciously to Impey. “The man in such a hurry too,” he murmured as he recognized the man on the front seat next the driver.
Impey made a hasty recovery, and with his horn blowing, the car glided cautiously away, leaving the Americans to grapple with the situation.
“It would have served him right if they had given him a sound beating,” Sydney cried indignantly a few moments later as they looked down upon the white face of the victim lying on a mat within a tiny store opposite the scene of the accident. “Has a doctor come?” he asked solicitously; but the Japanese addressed only shook his head, saying something in his own language which Sydney interpreted correctly to mean that he did not understand.
“Why doesn’t some one get a doctor?” he exclaimed. The strain of helplessly watching the sufferer was becoming unbearable. “Are you a doctor?” he asked as a uniformed naval officer forced his way through the curious throng and knelt at the injured man’s side.
With fascinated eyes the lads watched this grave little Japanese examine the injured man. They saw his nervous hands move quickly over the senseless form, resting momentarily here and there to make sure before passing on to other parts of the crushed victim’s body. Finally he rose to his feet while ready hands tenderly lifted the silent figure to carry him away.
“He will not die; luckily the wheels did not pass over him. Only contusion of the head and a broken leg,” the little doctor said in studied English and with a very impressive professional smile, as he shook hands with the midshipmen. “I was in the navy department building, and came as soon as I was informed. He is an employee in one of the offices, and was out with a message.”