They made the rounds of the hospitals, which were already crowded with wounded, and Gys stopped at one long enough to assist the French doctor in a delicate operation.  Patsy stood by to watch this surgery, her face white and drawn, for this was her first experience of the sort; but Maud and Beth volunteered their services and were so calm and deft that Doctor Gys was well pleased with them.

CHAPTER VI

LITTLE MAURIE

It was nearly evening when the Americans finally returned to the quay, close to which the Arabella was moored.  As they neared the place a great military automobile came tearing along, scattering pedestrians right and left, made a sudden swerve, caught a man who was not agile enough to escape and sent him spinning along the dock until he fell headlong, a crumpled heap.

“Ah, here is work for us!” exclaimed Doctor Gys, running forward to raise the man and examine his condition.  The military car had not paused in its career and was well out of sight, but a throng of indignant civilians gathered around.

“There are no severe injuries, but he seems unconscious,” reported Gys.  “Let us get him aboard the ship.”

The launch was waiting for them, and with the assistance of Jones, the doctor placed the injured man in the boat and he was taken to the ship and placed in one of the hospital berths.

“Our first patient is not a soldier, after all,” remarked Patsy, a little disappointed.  “I shall let Beth and Maud look after him.”

“Well, he is wounded, all right,” answered Ajo, “and without your kind permission Beth and Maud are already below, looking after him.  I’m afraid he won’t require their services long, poor fellow.”

“Why didn’t he get out of the way?” inquired Patsy with a shudder.

“Can’t say.  Preoccupied, perhaps.  There wasn’t much time to jump, anyhow.  I suppose that car carried a messenger with important news, for it isn’t like those officers to be reckless of the lives of citizens.”

“No; they seem in perfect sympathy with the people,” she returned.  “I wonder what the news can be, Ajo.”

For answer a wild whistling sounded overhead; a cry came from those ashore and the next instant there was a loud explosion.  Everyone rushed to the side, where Captain Carg was standing, staring at the sky.

“What was it, Captain?” gasped Patsy.

Carg stroked his grizzled beard.

“A German bomb, Miss Patsy; but I think it did no damage.”

“A bomb!  Then the Germans are on us?”

“Not exactly.  An aeroplane dropped the thing.”

“Oh.  Where is it?”

“The aeroplane?  Pretty high up, I reckon,” answered the captain.  “I had a glimpse of it, for a moment; then it disappeared in the clouds.”

“We must get our ambulances ashore,” said Jones.

“No hurry, sir; plenty of time,” asserted the captain.  “I think I saw the airship floating north, so it isn’t likely to bother us again just now.”