He knew him
despite the long gray beard, which had grown during his many months of
confinement, with hope daily choked by despair. His clothing was almost
in tatters, and he seemed thin and peaked; but the look upon his drawn
face now was of supreme happiness.
Then, after they had in some measure recovered from all this intense
excitement, the boys sat down to tell what a miracle had been wrought,
bringing the message to the home in far away Bloomsbury. With an arm
still encircling the form of his boy Professor Bird listened and asked
many eager questions.
"And to think," he said, finally, "that little messenger you saw going
up just now was constructed of the very last fragment of the old balloon
silk. I made a fire with flint and steel, filled it with hot air and
sent it up with prayers, believing that it was my forlorn chance. And
then I heard the exhaust of your motor. I feared my mind was giving way
under the terrible strain. When I looked up and saw an aeroplane sail
into view I fell down on my face, believing I had gone mad. But it was a
blessed reality, thank God!"
Plans were soon under discussion looking to leaving the valley as soon
as possible. About this time Andy happened to think of something and
began to fumble at his pocket.
"Oh, how I hoped and prayed when I bought that, father, that I might
have the happiness of seeing you smoke some of it," he said, as he drew
out a little packet of tobacco, on which the late prisoner pounced with
all the delight of an inveterate user of the weed, who had long been
deprived of a pleasure.
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