Part 35 (1/2)

”Tell you what,” said Colonel Decies, ”when I get up there again, have a good squint and see if you think you can locate the spot for yourself from below. If you can, I'll come down again and we'll both go up on the oont. Bring the poor beggar down much better if one of us can hold him while the other drives the camel. It's no Grand Trunk Road, by Jove.”

”Right-O,” acquiesced Captain Digby-Soames. ”If I can get a clear bearing to a point immediately below where you hover, I'll lie flat on the ground as an affirmative signal. If there's no good landmark I'll stay perpendicular, what?”

”That's it,” said Colonel Decies, and, with a swift run and throbbing whirr, the aeroplane soared from the ground and rose to where, a thousand feet from the plain, lay the mangled ”problem”. As it came to a halt and hovered[29] (like a gigantic dragon-fly poised on its invisibly-rapid wings above a pool), the junior officer's practised eye noted a practicable gully that debouched on a level with, and not far from, the ledge over which the aeroplane hung, and that a stunted thorn-tree stood below the shelf and two large cactus bushes on its immediate left. Having taken careful note of other landmarks and glanced at the sun, he lay on the ground at full length for a minute and then arose and approached the camel, who greeted him with a bubbling snarl. On its great double saddle were a gun-cover and a long cane, while from it dangled a haversack, camera, cartridge-case, satchel, canvas water-bag, and a cord-net holdall of odds and ends.

Obviously the ”problem's” s.h.i.+kar-camel. Apparently he was out without any s.h.i.+karri, orderly, or servant--a foolish thing to do when stalking in country in which a sprained ankle is more than a possibility, and a long-range bullet in the back a probability anywhere on that side of the border.

The aeroplane returned to earth and grounded near by. Stopping the engine Colonel Decies climbed out and swung himself into the rear seat of the camel saddle. Captain Digby-Soames sprang into the front one and the camel lurched to its feet, and was driven to the mouth of the gully which the Captain had noted as running up to the scene of the tragedy.

To and fro, in and out of the gully, winding, zig-zagging, often travelling a hundred yards to make a dozen, the sure-footed and well-trained beast made its way upward.

”Coming down will be joy,” observed the Colonel. ”I'd sooner be on a broken aeroplane in a cyclone.”

”Better hop off here, I should think,” said Captain Digby-Soames anon.

”We can lead him a good way yet, though. Case of divided we stand, united we fall. Let him fall by himself if he wants to,” and at the next reasonably level spot the camel was made to kneel, that his riders might descend. Slithering down from a standing camel is not a sport to practise on a steep hillside, if indulged in at all.

Another winding, scrambling climb and the head of the nullah was reached.

”Have to get the beast kneeling when we climb down to him with the casualty,” opined the Colonel. ”Better get him down here, I think.

Doesn't seem any decent place farther on,” and the camel was brought to an anchor and left to his own devices.

”By Jove, the poor beggar _has_ come a purler,” said Captain Digby-Soames, as the two bent over the apparently unconscious man.

”Ever seen him at Kot Ghazi or Bimariabad?” inquired Colonel Decies.

”No,” said the Captain, ”never seen him anywhere. Why--have you?”

”Certainly seen him somewhere--trying to remember where. I thought perhaps it might have been at the flying-school or at one of the messes. Can't place him at all, but I'll swear I've met him.”

”Manoeuvres, perhaps,” suggested the other, ”or 'board s.h.i.+p.”

”Extraordinary thing is that I feel I _ought_ to know him well.

Something most familiar about the face. I'm afraid it's a bit too late to--Broken ribs--fractured thigh--broken ankles--broken arm--perforated lungs--not much good trying to get him down, I'm afraid. He might linger for days, though, if we decided to stand by, up here. A really first-cla.s.s problem for solution--we're in luck,”

mused Colonel Decies, making his rapid and skilful examination. ”Yes, we must get him down, of course--after a bit of splinting.”

”And then the real 'problem' will commence, I suppose,” observed Captain Digby-Soames. ”You couldn't put him into my seat and fly him to Kot Ghazi while I dossed down with the camel and waited for you to come for me. And it wouldn't do to camel him to that building which looks like a dak-bungalow.”

”No. I think you'll have to stand by while I fly to Kot Ghazi and bring the necessary things for a temporary job, and then return and try to guide an ambulance waggon here. Oh, for an aeroplane-ambulance!

This job brings it home to you pretty clearly, doesn't it? Or I might first go and have a look at the alleged dak-bungalow and see if we could possibly run him over there on a charpoy[30] or an improvised camel-stretcher. It'll be a ghastly job getting down. I don't know that you hadn't better stick to him up here while I go straight back for proper splints and bandages and so forth, and bring another chap too ... Where the devil have I seen him before? I shall forget my own name next.”

The Colonel pondered a moment.

”Look here,” he decided. ”This case is urgent enough to justify a risky experiment. He's been here a devil of a time and if he's not in a _pukka_ hospital within the next few hours it's all up with him.

He's going to have the distinction of being the first casualty removed to hospital by flying-machine. I'll tie him on somewhere. We'll splint him up as well as possible, and then make him into a blooming coc.o.o.n with the cord, and whisk him away.”

”Pity we haven't a few planks,” observed Captain Digby-Soames. ”We could make one big splint of his whole body and sling him, planks and all, underneath the aeroplane.”

”Well, you start splinting that right leg on to the left and stiffen the knees with something (you'll probably be able to get a decent stick or two off that small tree), and shove the arm inside his leather legging. We've two pairs of putties you can bandage with, and there are _puggries_ on all three _topis_. Probably his gun's somewhere about, for another leg-splint, too. I'll get down to the machine for the cord and then I'll skirmish around for anything in the nature of poles or planks. I can get over to that hut and back before you've done. It'll be the camelling that'll kill him.”