Page:Bedford-Jones--Boy Scouts of the Air at Cape Peril.djvu/201

 on the sweeping wind, a sound, very, very faint—the sound of sand crunched under a boot. With head raised higher, he waited expectantly until he was sure he detected a dark shadow moving along the lighter background. All of a sudden the sound of footfalls ceased and a groan came in its place.

"Gee! he must be hurt bad," thought the lad. "Can't help it. I'll watch on."

Once more the sound of grating sand was heard; the stranger was moving. Very slowly he dragged along till he had reached a point just in front of his watcher; then, after a short pause and another groan, his footsteps seemed to be slowly retreating. Cat ducked as a searchlight flashed and he fidgeted in spite of himself. The man was evidently just getting his bearings.

In the lad's excitement, he kept crawling nearer and nearer the road head, worming along on his stomach as soldiers do in battle under shell fire. His curiosity was overpowering his discretion.

A few feet from the road the boy stopped, raised himself on his hands, and looked. The man, flashing his light at intervals, was still