“Dad, we couldn’t help it. Brad’s shot!” “Shot?” “From the marshes.” “Where is he now?” “I got him ashore here—but couldn’t bring him any farther.” ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [Illustration: _She Helped Him Across the Dock_] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ “He’s not dead?” “Oh, no! I mean I hope not. He must have fainted when I was helping him to the dock. He lost so much blood.” “Which dock?” “Ours—behind the house.” “I’ll get the car. You’d better come, too, Jane. I don’t want Kitty to strain herself, helping me lift him.” Billy was already in bed, so Mr. Carter closed the door softly. “He’ll be all right. We’ll be back in a few minutes. I’ll drop you two off here before I take him on to the hospital.” He hurried out to get the car and Kitty followed him saying, “But we don’t want to take him to the hospital. He doesn’t want them to know.” “What are you talking about, my child? That’s the place for him.” “Not under the circumstances, Dad.” Kitty tumbled into the car beside him, and Jane got into the back, praying aloud excitedly. Mr. Carter started the motor and they raced out the drive. “Please do as I say, Dad,” persisted Kitty. “Just this once, Dad. There’s no time to tell you everything, but we’ve learned things this afternoon that may put a stop to all this awful business.” Mr. Carter made no reply for a moment, grimly intent upon his driving in the rain. Finally he said, “I’ve been a fool, Kitty, to let you go ahead and get into something like this.” Kitty was too miserable over Brad to pay much attention to her father’s rebuke. “There, he’s under the oak yonder,” she directed, when they turned the corner and raced down the block. They found Brad had recovered consciousness, and was sitting with his back propped against the tree trunk. “So silly of me to check out,” he apologized when they approached him. “I figured you’d gone for the car.” “Think you can get in?” asked Mr. Carter. “Sure,” Brad tried to make light of his weakness. But he was a dead weight on Mr. Carter as he helped him to his feet. “Guess you’ve lost a lot of blood, old boy. Where did they hit you?” “Just under my shoulder blade. Kitty bound it up, but I’d spilled plenty before she got a chance to do that.” Kitty breathed easier when he was in the front seat beside her father. She and Jane sat in the back. Nothing more was said until Mr. Carter stopped the car in front of their house, instead of going into the drive. “Jane, you get out and stay with Billy. Kitty, you can come on up to the hospital with us if you’d rather.” There were tears in Kitty’s voice when she wailed, “But Dad, we don’t want them to know about this at the hospital!” “This is no time to think of such things, Kitty. It’s quite evident Brad will need a blood transfusion. The hospital is the proper place for that.”