“There is,” said Tom. “The fair opens to-morrow, and there’s going to be an aeroplane flight. I’m coming over.”
The other boys expressed their intention of doing the same. On their arrival at the swamp Professor Snodgrass enlisted the aid of the lads in looking for the large beetle.
“If you see some round holes in the ground, with a little heap of earth on two sides of it, you may know the beetle is there,” he said.
“Why two heaps of earth?” asked Ned. “There is only one when ants dig out their chambers under ground.”
“That is one of the peculiarities of this beetle,” said the little scientist, as he mentioned the Latin name. “It burrows into the ground, and brings up the excavated earth, putting it in two almost exactly even piles. Just why, we have never been able to learn.”
The boys scattered, to look for beetle holes, for they liked the professor and were always glad to help him in his scientific work, especially when it was of an odd turn, such as this.
“Here’s a hole—I’ve found one!” cried Ned, and Professor Snodgrass, hurrying over, confirmed the discovery.
“The beetle is working down there now,” he said. “You can tell that by the freshness of the piles of earth.” The boys saw that there were two little earth-piles, just as the scientist had said. Professor Snodgrass knelt down over the hole.
“What are you going to do?” Jerry asked.
“Get the beetle,” was the answer.