But, at the sight of it, and of two fins that looked something like wings, the professor uttered a joyful shout.
“It’s the singing-fish! The singing flying-fish!” he cried. “At last I have caught it! Listen!”
Hardly had he ceased speaking, than the queer fish opened its mouth, and there came forth something between a whine and a low groan. It was anything but singing, but to the professor, this was evidently to be preferred to the sweetest music.
“Hear it sing! Hear it sing!” he cried. “You boys will be witness to it, for I’m afraid I can’t keep so large a fish alive until we get home. But it sang; didn’t it?”
“Yes; if you call that singing,” remarked Bob in a low voice. “I’ve heard catfish do the same thing.” In fact, the noise made by the odd fish was not unlike the sound a catfish, or bullhead, makes when caught. But the professor was satisfied.
“Help me get him into a tank of water, until I make some notes about him while he is still alive,” the scientist begged, and the boys aided him. He was engaged in making copious notes about his prize, and Jerry was sending the Comet up into the air, when Bob, who was in the bow, looking upward, pointed at some object, and cried out:
“The balloon! The Manhattan! There she is, boys! There is what we’ve been looking for so long!”