ow the aeronaut had
been able to cling there.

"Will it land near here, d'ye think, Paul?" asked Jotham, round-eyed
with wonder, and feeling very sorry for the wretched traveler of the
upper air currents, who seemed to be in deadly peril of his life.

"I hardly think so," replied the scoutmaster, rapidly measuring
distances with his ready eye, and calculating upon the drop of the half
collapsed balloon.

"But see where the bally old thing's heading, will you?" cried Seth,
"straight at the place where them crows came out of. Say, wouldn't it be
awful tough now, if it dropped right down in the heart of Black Water
Swamps, where up to now never a human being has set foot, unless some
Indian did long ago, when the Shawnees and Sacs and Pottawattomies and
all that crowd rampaged through this region flat-footed."

The scouts stood there, and watched with tense nerves as the drifting
balloon drew rapidly closer.

Now they could plainly see the man. He had secured himself in some way
among the broken ropes that had doubtless held the basket in place. Yes,
and he must have discovered the presence of the little khaki-clad band
of boys on the road, for surely he was waving his hand to them wildly
now.

Perhaps he understood that it was a safe thing to appeal to any boy who
wore that well known suit; because every one has learned by this time
that when a lad takes upon himself the duties and obligations of
scoutcraft, he solemnly promises to always help a fellow in distress,
when the opportunity comes along; and with most scouts the habit has
become so strong that they always keep both eyes open, looking for just
such openings.

Closer and closer came the wrecked air monster.

Just as one of the boys had said, it seemed about to pass very nearly
overhead; and as the man would not be more than sixty or seventy feet
above them, possibly he might be able to shout out a message.

"Keep still! He's calling something down to us!" cried Seth, when
several of the others had started to chatter at a lively rate.

Now the balloon was whipping past, going at a pretty good clip.
Apparently, then, it did not mean to get quite low enough to let them
clutch any trailing rope, and endeavor to effect the rescue of the
aeronaut. Fritz did make an upward leap, and try to lay hold of the only
rope that came anywhere near them; but missed it by more than a foot.

"Accident--badly wrenched leg--follow up, and bring help--Anderson, from
St.