[CHAPTER XXII]
TO THE RESCUE
Silence greeted the reading of the message—silence at first, and then, as the import of the appeal came home to the crowd, there were murmurs of surprise and despair.
“Blown out to sea!” exclaimed Jerry. “How could they be over the ocean so soon after leaving here? They must have travelled at a terrific rate.”
“You forget,” said Bob, “that we’re within a few miles of New York, and not far from the sea. It’s only a short distance to the ocean.”
“That’s right,” agreed Ned. “And if they’re in a hurricane of the upper air they may be swept along for several days.”
“But we must help them!” exclaimed Professor Snodgrass, who had temporarily abandoned his pursuit after specimens and had joined his friends in the crowd. “They have appealed to us all for aid.”
“That’s right!” cried several. “We must go to the rescue. We must send out a relief expedition. Notify the naval authorities, and have a swift torpedo boat sent out to pick them up in case they fall into the sea. All ship captains should be notified by wireless.”