Читать книгу The Parachute Jumper - Percy Keese Fitzhugh - Страница 9

Table of Contents

“I wouldn’t mind coming back some day soon and look over Two-by-Four Island,” said Tom as he tucked Donovan in with an old army blanket.

Billy smiled wistfully. “Whatever you say, Slady,” he said.

“All set,” said Tom, belting him in. “See if you can wriggle your arms free in case the old bus decides to caper any.”

Donovan wriggled and put his arms through, much to the amusement of a gathering curious throng.

“Chute on O. K.?” Tom asked briskly.

“Oke,” Donovan answered laughing. “You’re some nurse, Slady. Think of everything, don’t you?”

“One close shave’s enough in a day,” said Tom. “I’m a cautious pilot, Billy. Never ride without a ’chute—superstitious about it almost. Got a hunch it keeps the hard luck away.” He adjusted his own and climbed into the cockpit.

“Who ever thought I’d be sitting here tonight,” said Donovan. “Gee, I have to pinch myself to see whether I’m dreaming.”

“You’re not dreaming by any means, Billy,” Tom said, turning around and leaning over the fuselage a moment. “You’re darn lucky when you think of it. I’d like to hear about it sometime when you feel like talking about it.”

“I’ll tell you some time, Slady,” Donovan said quietly, “Only just now I—I can’t. Those eyes of his, the ropes ... gee, I can’t talk about it now. It starts my head aching again.”

“I know—don’t try,” said Tom. “Some day when things are going kind of slow we’ll hop down here and look the island over. We’ll see if we can find what made the poor chap so mysterious—that is, if our friend Ike hasn’t made it impossible. Maybe you’ll feel like telling me then.”

Some of the scouts who had made possible the generous collection for Donovan crowded close to the plane saying good-bye. Some shouted an invitation for the pair to come again to Oakvale.

“And the next time we’ll see that the wind isn’t blowing toward the lake,” said one, noted for his timely witticisms. “We’ll have it blowing straight toward Heinie’s place so you can snatch a hot dog on your way down.”

Tom laughed and looked at Donovan but that young man was not smiling. He was looking into space and something akin to pain filled his eyes. Then he pulled into place the pair of goggles he had borrowed from Tom. His own were somewhere in Oakvale Lake.

“This thing has hit him hard,” Tom thought. “He’s seen that poor chap coming to save him and after that was accomplished the tables turned. Yes, it’s certainly hit him hard. It’s happened like that to the bravest of ’em. Just let them see someone else die in front of their eyes and it’s ten times worse than if it was themselves. Well, in the future the less said about it to him, the better.”

Tom straightened up and slipped into place. He called good-bye to the admiring assemblage and presently the starter whined followed by the roar of the motor. Donovan did not turn once nor did he speak through the ’phone until they were high among the shadowy clouds of approaching night.

Then he said, listlessly, “Glad you thought of this blanket, Slady. I could feel better.”

“Sure, you could,” Tom answered. “The doc said you’d be running a little temperature so keep yourself warm at least. We won’t be long getting there. You’re still a sick kid, Billy, and a few days in bed won’t hurt you. You look underweight anyhow, so Leatherstocking is some break after all your misfortunes, eh?”

“Some break is right,” Donovan answered. “I’ll never forget you for this, Slady—never!”

“Think of yourself, kiddo,” Tom returned with a ring of feeling in his voice. “Your cue is to toughen up and fatten up so’s you can spread your wings again.”

“To fly?” asked Donovan whimsically.

“To fly,” Tom answered with a hearty laugh. “I’ve a feeling that I’m responsible for you. I don’t know why.”

“It’s good you don’t,” Billy returned and settled down under the blanket. He was silent the rest of the journey.

North, northeast, northwest they went over the blinking lights of sleeping villages. At one time, Tom lowered his altitude in order to get a glimpse of the Delaware and Hudson tracks. There was a fascination in the way the steel rails gleamed through the darkness looking not a little like an endless stretch of sparkling ribbons. He called Donovan’s attention to it.

“Can’t see it so well when the stars are out,” he explained. “What do you think of it?”

“I can’t bend my head, Slady, it hurts too much. But I think I’d like it all right—I don’t seem to be able to think of anything tonight. Man alive—do you think I’ll ever be the same again?”

“Absolutely, positively,” said Tom. “When you’re a stude you’ll not be able to think of anything but the bungles you make and that’s scheduled for Monday at the latest. You’ll have plenty to think of that won’t concern yourself or your troubles, kiddo. A stude’s life isn’t so easy, not if he intends being a hundred percent airman. You’ve got to learn your air, believe me. Well, Billy, we’re passing over Harkness now. Next is Leatherstocking, and home for the present.”

“Home!” repeated Donovan. “Man alive, that sounds good.”

Tom picked out Leatherstocking’s beacons, made a few gentle spirals and gauged his landing. A few seconds later they rumbled across the smooth field and rolled to a stop.

“Well,” said Tom as he helped Billy out of the cockpit, “how does this strike you?”

Billy pushed the goggles up on his forehead and looked about in the dark night. The mountains loomed up formidably on either side with Old Hogback’s crest almost obliterated in the dark heavens. Off in the distance he could see the mists of Weir Lake draping the camp buildings like so many huge spider webs. Lights blinked from the cabins and from the main lodge came a perpendicular stream of light where the door had been opened. Two deep male voices called Tom a welcome.

“That’s Counsellor Wainwright and Don Ellison,” Tom explained. “No one’s boss here exactly. We all work together and we get along tiptop. They don’t know I have company or they’d be out here to meet you. We’ll walk in on them and surprise them. Tell me first, Billy—will you like it?”

“No reason why I shouldn’t,” Donovan replied, allowing himself to lean heavily on Tom. “It’s nice and still; I’ve always wanted to go to the mountains. Sure I’ll like it. It’s sort of out of the world like, huh?”

“Out of the world is right, Billy,” Tom agreed. “And that’s one thing you want to forget about.”

“What’s that, Slady?”

“The world. We forget about it when we’re here. You try it—it’s easy.”

Donovan said nothing but walked on with Tom’s help, his eyes fixed on the stream of light issuing from the lodge. An owl hooted somewhere in the distance and a company of frogs croaked dismally from the lake.

Tom felt Donovan’s fingers clasp tightly around his arm.

“What’s the matter, Billy?” he asked anxiously.

Billy laughed nervously. “I guess I’m going crazy or something, Slady. That owl and those frogs sent the shivers through me. Spooky, huh?”

“Spooks my eye,” said Tom trying to laugh him out of the mood. “Just for that I’m going to make you eat some tomorrow.”

“What—spooks?” Billy chuckled.

“No, frogs,” Tom returned.

“Man alive!” Donovan said heartily. “I’m cured.”

“Atta boy,” said Tom. “Atta boy!”