“Well, large bodies move slowly, you know, Jerry. It takes me some time to make up my mind. Just what do you want to do to the Comet, anyhow? Put in a new steam-heating apparatus, or add a gymnasium, and shower-baths, and elevators?”
“Oh, don’t get funny, Bob! I’m serious. What I want to do is to add the hydroplane feature. That’s the biggest improvement, though there are several smaller ones to be put in. But it won’t be much work to attach the hydroplanes. All we need to do is to build on some air-tight floats, or boxes, which will do on the water exactly what the bicycle wheels of an aeroplane do on land—support it. Then, in case we have an accident, say over the ocean, we can just drop down, and float until we make repairs. Or, for that matter we can swim along on the water.”
“Why, you don’t expect to go over the ocean, do you?”
“No, but you never can tell what you want to do,” declared Jerry, “and the hydroplanes might be very useful some day.”
The time was to come, and that not far distant, when Jerry’s prediction was to bear fruit.
“Well, I’m not in favor of ripping the good old Comet too much apart,” declared Bob firmly. “She carried us many a mile, and did good service. Why, look at all we did in her. Look what a help she was in rescuing those poor people from the valley, when Professor Snodgrass got his flying lizard.”
“That’s all true, but if we have a motor-ship that can go on the water, the professor can get a flying fish, or something like that, in case he goes along with us on the next trip.”
“Oh, he’ll go all right enough,” spoke Bob, with a laugh. “Dear old professor! We wouldn’t know how to get along without him, though he sometimes does the oddest things.”
“You’re getting away from the main discussion,” said Jerry. “What about making the changes?”
“I’m not exactly in favor of them!” remarked Bob, after a moment’s thought. “The Comet was always good enough for us as she is, and why change her?”