“What’s the matter?” asked Jerry, slowing down the engine. “Did you lose something?”
The scientist seemed to be struggling to get at something in the bottom of the boat.
“It’s a very rare dragon fly,” he said as he brought out a butterfly net. “I just saw him floating on a bit of wood. I must have him for my collection. He’s worth a hundred dollars!”
The professor made a sudden lunge, thrusting his long-handled net over the side of the craft. He would have gone overboard had not Ned caught him by the waist and held him.
The net went into the water with a splash, but, despite his undignified position the professor managed to bring it aboard. He looked into it anxiously.
“I got him!” he exclaimed. “A perfect specimen! Oh, boys, this voyage has started most excellently for me!”
“It would have been the other kind of a start if I hadn’t caught you,” observed Ned.
“Thank you, my dear young friend,” spoke the professor, as he carefully dried the dragon fly and placed it in his cyanide bottle to kill it painlessly for preservation. “I appreciate what you did for me, but I would rather fall overboard a dozen times than miss this beautiful specimen.”
Jerry started the engine again, and soon the Dartaway was cutting through the water at a fast speed. Jerry had asked the advice of some sea captains in St. Augustine and they had told him to keep in the Matanzas river instead of standing out to sea, and, on reaching Matanzas inlet to use that as a means of getting out on the Atlantic. This plan was followed, and at noon they emerged on the ocean, which they greeted with a cheer.