第35章 The Coast of Oregon

When he had somewhat recovered, Rob sat up and looked around him. Th. elder sailor was kneeling in earnest prayer, offering grateful thank. for his escape from suffering and death. The younger one lay upon th. ground sobbing and still violently agitated by recollections of th. frightful experiences he had undergone. Although he did not show hi. feelings as plainly as the men, the boy was none the less gratified a. having been instrumental in saving the lives of two fellow-beings.

The darkness was by this time rapidly enveloping them, so Rob aske. his companions to gather some brushwood and light a fire, which the. quickly did. The evening was cool for the time of year, and the hea. from the fire was cheering and grateful; so they all lay near th. glowing embers and fell fast asleep.

The sound of voices aroused Rob next morning, and on opening his eye. and gazing around he saw several rudely dressed men approaching. Th. two shipwrecked sailors were still sound asleep.

Rob stood up and waited for the strangers to draw near. They seeme. to be fishermen, and were much surprised at finding three peopl. asleep upon the bluff.

"Whar 'n thunder 'd ye come from?" asked the foremost fisherman, in . surprised voice.

"From the sea," replied the boy. "My friends here are shipwrecke. sailors from the 'Cynthia Jane.'""But how'd ye make out to climb the bluff?" inquired a secon. fisherman; "no one ever did it afore, as we knows on.""Oh, that is a long story," replied the boy, evasively.

The two sailors had awakened and now saluted the new-comers. Soo. they were exchanging a running fire of questions and answers.

"Where are we?" Rob heard the little sailor ask.

"Coast of Oregon," was the reply. "We're about seven miles from Por. Orford by land an' about ten miles by sea.""Do you live at Port Orford?" inquired the sailor.

"That's what we do, friend; an' if your party wants to join us we'l. do our best to make you comf'table, bein' as you're shipwrecked an' need help."

Just then a loud laugh came from another group, where the elder sailo. had been trying to explain Rob's method of flying through the air.

"Laugh all you want to," said the sailor, sullenly; "it's true--ev'r. word of it!""Mebbe you think it, friend," answered a big, good-natured fisherman;"but it's well known that shipwrecked folks go crazy sometimes, an' imagine strange things. Your mind seems clear enough in other ways. so I advise you to try and forget your dreams about flyin'."Rob now stepped forward and shook hands with the sailors.

"I see you have found friends," he said to them, "so I will leave yo. and continue my journey, as I'm in something of a hurry."Both sailors began to thank him profusely for their rescue, but h. cut them short.

"That's all right. Of course I couldn't leave you on that island t. starve to death, and I'm glad I was able to bring you away with me.""But you threatened to drop me into the sea," remarked the littl. sailor, in a grieved voice.

"So I did," said Rob, laughing; "but I wouldn't have done it for th. world--not even to have saved my own life. Good-by!"He turned the indicator and mounted skyward, to the unbounde. amazement of the fishermen, who stared after him with round eye. and wide open mouths.

"This sight will prove to them that the sailors are not crazy," h. thought, as he turned to the south and sped away from the bluff. "Isuppose those simple fishermen will never forget this wonderfu. occurrence, and they'll probably make reg'lar heroes of the two me. who have crossed the Pacific through the air."He followed the coast line, keeping but a short distance above the earth. and after an hour's swift flight reached the city of San Francisco.

His shoulders were sore and stiff from the heavy strain upon them o. the previous day, and he wished more than once that he had some of hi. mother's household liniment to rub them with. Yet so great was hi. delight at reaching once more his native land that all discomfort. were speedily forgotten.

Much as he would have enjoyed a day in the great metropolis of th. Pacific slope, Rob dared not delay longer than to take a general vie. of the place, to note its handsome edifices and to wonder at th. throng of Chinese inhabiting one section of the town.

These things were much more plainly and quickly viewed by Rob fro. above than by threading a way through the streets on foot; for h. looked down upon the city as a bird does, and covered miles with . single glance.

Having satisfied his curiosity without attempting to alight, he turne. to the southeast and followed the peninsula as far as Palo Alto, wher. he viewed the magnificent buildings of the university. Changing hi. course to the east, he soon reached Mount Hamilton, and, bein. attracted by the great tower of the Lick Observatory, he hovered ove. it until he found he had attracted the excited gaze of the inhabitants. who doubtless observed him very plainly through the big telescope.

But so unreal and seemingly impossible was the sight witnessed by th. learned astronomers that they have never ventured to make the inciden. public, although long after the boy had darted away into the east the. argued together concerning the marvelous and incomprehensible vision.

Afterward they secretly engrossed the circumstance upon their records. but resolved never to mention it in public, lest their wisdom an. veracity should be assailed by the skeptical.

Meantime Rob rose to a higher altitude, and sped swiftly across th. great continent. By noon he sighted Chicago, and after a brie. inspection of the place from the air determined to devote at least a. hour to forming the acquaintance of this most wonderful an. cosmopolitan city.