“Be sure and drop a letter occasionally,” called Mrs. Hopkins, to her son, and Jerry promised, while Ned and Bob also agreed to write to their parents.
“Is everything all right?” asked Jerry of his chums. He was in the pilot house, and his two companions were on deck.
“All ready to cast off,” announced Bob.
“Then let her go!” cried Jerry. “Good-bye, everybody!”
“Good-bye! Good-bye!” shouted their friends and parents.
“Good-bye!” cried Bob and Ned in a chorus.
They were about to release the ropes holding the airship to the earth when there was a sudden commotion in the crowd. It seemed to separate into two parts, and through the middle came running an odd figure.
It was that of a small man, with a bald head, which was easily discernible since his hat had fallen off. He was running as fast as he could.
“Hold on! Hold on, boys!” he cried. “Wait for me. I want to go with you!” His coat tails were flying out behind him like sails. Over one shoulder was a long-handled butterfly net, and slung on his back was a green box. The cover of the box had come open, and from it were falling all sorts of bugs, toads, lizards and insects. “Wait! Wait!” cried the little man. “Don’t go without me! I want to capture a new kind of flying lizard. Wait! Wait!”