The professor had uttered no sound. Probably he was too frightened. Mr. Glassford heard the cry, and rushed from the sleeping-cabin, half dressed. He saw what had happened, and adding his strength to that of the boys, the poor professor was soon pulled inside the cabin. His face was red, for much blood had run to his head, but otherwise he was calm and collected.
“Look out for the handle of my net,” he said as he stood in the cabin and began to haul in his apparatus for catching specimens.
“What, didn’t you drop your net?” asked Ned in great astonishment.
“And lose that valuable bird?” inquired the professor. “I guess not. I caught it, all right, and have it safe in the net. Here it is.”
He continued to pull the net in, and a moment later showed to his audience a curious bird, with brilliant plumage. The little creature was entangled in the meshes of the net, but the scientist carefully disentangled it, and placed the bird in a small cage.
“That will be a most valuable addition to my collection,” he said. “It is worth all this trip has cost me.”
“But, my dear sir, you might have met a horrible death!” exclaimed Mr. Glassford.
“I didn’t, though,” retorted the professor with a calm smile. “‘A miss is as good as a mile,’ you know.”
“Don’t take any more misses like that,” urged the inventor.
“I probably won’t see any more birds like this one,” was what the scientist replied.