“Can’t you tell us?” urged Jerry.
“No,” and Bob’s voice was a trifle short. “I’m going out to have a look around. When you fellows get through snoozing you can come and give me a hand. The professor’s up.”
“Oh, he never sleeps,” commented Ned, with a yawn. “Well, if you get up, Bob, I’m going to have another forty winks,” and he turned over and pulled the blankets around his neck, for it was chilly in the early mornings.
Ned paid no further attention to his stout chum, but Jerry regarded Bob curiously as the latter went out of the airship.
“There sure is something up,” decided the tall lad. “I wonder what it is? Chunky has something on his mind, and he doesn’t want to tell what it is. Maybe he has seen something of our enemies, and he wants to hurry away from here before they get too active. But, in that case, I should think he’d tell us. I guess I’ll go out and see what he’s doing.”
Jerry tried to arise and dress quietly, so as not to disturb Ned. But the latter’s ears were sharp, and he turned over with a quick:
“Say, have you got the early rising bug, too, Jerry?”
“I thought I’d see what ailed Bob.”
“Nothing, only he’s hungry, I’ll wager, and he doesn’t want to admit it.”
“But he’s out there looking for nuggets, and he didn’t take a bite to eat.”