Blankets were wrapped about the rescued ones, and the launch dashed back to her ship.
"A woman, Lieutenant Commander Darrin and two other men!" the officer in charge of the launch hailed the destroyer.
"Darrin!" cried a voice. There was even greater bustle at the top of the gangway that had been lowered as the launch ran alongside. As swiftly as possible the four rescued ones were rushed up the side.
"Old Darry himself, eh?" cried a joyous voice, as Danny Grin hurried up.
"Has the woman any relative in the party?"
"Yes; her husband," Dave answered weakly, then collapsed.
"Take the woman and her husband to my quarters," Dalzell directed. "Have a cot put in and lashed for the husband, and put the woman in the berth.
Mr. Darrin and the other man will go to the sick bay."
Willing hands bore the rescued ones as ordered. Dan himself followed Dave"s bearers down to the sick bay and there supervised the treatment given Dave and Captain Kennor, while the medical officer went to Dan"s quarters, the best on the craft.
The Englishman was soon more comfortable. His wife, however, required serious attention. Dalzell shook his head over Dave, who appeared all in and not able to talk.
"Was he in the water longer than the rest of you?" asked Dalzell, as soon as Captain Kennor was able to talk.
"No; but he vas der water in vonce before," was the reply. "Der second time he could stand not so well."
That gave Dan the clue. As soon as the medical officer could be spared from the care of the Englishwoman for a few moments he was ordered to the sick bay.
"Mr. Darrin may pull through, but I won"t guarantee anything," said the surgeon, after an examination. "The chances are all against him. I am afraid the woman is going to die also."
CHAPTER XIV
DAVE PLEDGES HIS WORD FOR RESULTS
THAT double report helped Dan Dalzell to make up his mind.
"Run straight for port," he ordered the executive officer, naming the nearest British haven that offered rail connection.
In an hour and a half the destroyer had dropped anchor at the port.
More medical aid was brought aboard, including a trained nurse for the Englishwoman.
A few hours after daylight the woman had recovered sufficiently to warrant her removal to a hospital on sh.o.r.e. No strong hopes were yet entertained of keeping her alive for more than a day or two. Her husband had stood the watery ordeal much better.
Captain Kennor, who, with Dave, was taken to the hospital later in the day, had nearly recovered by the day following.
But for Dave Darrin there followed black hours. According to the doctors a severe case of pneumonia was about the best that could be predicted for him.
On the day after he was taken ash.o.r.e Darrin opened his eyes with a light of recognition in them. At the foot of the cot, in a chair, sat a stalwart, youthful figure. Dan Dalzell, whose orders took him to sea again that night, was waiting to the last for better news.
"Dan," Dave called, softly, and Dalzell was instantly bending over him.
"David, little giant, did you know that the "Reed" had the good luck to pick you up?" asked Dan, eagerly.
"I had a notion of it, but I was too dazed to know really," Darrin answered.
"I"ve been here about all the time ever since," Dan went on. "I wanted to know the news of you as soon as it could be had. But you"re going to be all right, now."
"Of course I am," agreed Dave, feebly.
Unseen by the man on the hospital cot, Dan signalled with one hand. Down the ward came a doctor, followed by a young woman wearing the blue cape ulster of the Red Cross. There was a quick, glad cry; soft lips touched Dave"s face.
"Belle!" gasped Dave, delightedly.
"I"m going to be allowed to sit by you quite a bit, dear, if you don"t try to talk to me," replied the steady voice of Belle Darrin. Summoned by cable sent by Dan, Belle had journeyed swiftly from France.
"And now I"m off and back to my ship, Belle," said Dan. "But I know you"ll find a way to get a radio message through to me when Dave is improved enough to warrant it. Good-bye, Darry, old chap!"
And Dan was off, not because he didn"t want to stay, but because he knew his chum would want to see the most of Belle. As for that young woman, who held none too positive hopes of Darrin"s recovery after what the doctors had told her, she forced herself to be calm and smiling and sat close by, her hand on Dave"s forehead when he dropped off into a feverish, troubled sleep.
The next day Belle chatted with her husband a little, in a cool, steady voice. Two days after that Dave was actually permitted to sit up.
On the sixth day after he had been taken to the hospital Dave was mending so rapidly that Belle, who was obliged to leave that afternoon for her Red Cross post in France, felt wholly easy in mind as to his condition.
"It was a lucky chain of events, my two swims in the channel," Darrin told her before they parted.
"Lucky, when the experience nearly cost you your life?" exclaimed Belle.
"It gave you an excuse for coming to me, and gave me the time and leisure to be with you."
"Dave Darrin, you don"t mean any such thing! You are needed aboard your ship, and I am needed for my work in France, and nothing can be called really good luck that takes either of us away from his post of duty in war-time."
"You little patriot!" Dave laughed, jestingly.
"You believe it just as much as I do," Belle maintained stoutly. "I"m glad to have been here with you, dear, but I shall be glad to find myself back at my post. And you know you are glad that you will return to your ship tomorrow."
"If she comes in," Darrin amended.
"Dave, aren"t you nearly wild to get back to duty?" she persisted.
"Yes, I am, for as you say, dear, we are all needed at the posts a.s.signed to us. There is another reason why I must get back. The work that has been cut out for us is not proceeding as it should. We have made some good "catches" in the way of mines, yet the fact is that mines are being planted much faster than we have been taking them up. I must get back to duty and see if I can find out what is wrong."
b.u.t.toning his overcoat tightly Dave Darrin walked with Belle to the railway station. The train left so soon after their arrival that there were not many moments left the young couple for leave-taking. After the train had started Dave watched it out of sight. There had been something uncomfortable in his throat, but as he turned away the lump vanished and his jaws set squarely.
"Now, my work is cut out for me," he told himself. "I can do only one man"s part in this war, but I must do that to the limit and try to make the world a safe place of residence for that little woman and all others like her!"
No sooner was the "Grigsby" in port, the next forenoon, than Lieutenant Fernald came ash.o.r.e and straight to the hospital.
"Going on board today, sir?" was Fernald"s greeting.