“Here you are!” called Mr. Duncan, passing up the end of a rope, about an inch in diameter. “Better fasten it well, for a rope a mile long is rather heavy.”
Jerry saw that it was securely attached to strong braces in the after part of the Comet, and then he requested Mr. Duncan to see to it that the rope was paid out well from the shore.
“I’ll station a man right near it, to see that it does not tangle,” promised Mr. Duncan, who seemed to be in general charge of matters. “Here, Mr. Simon,” he called to a very stout individual, “you keep near this coil of rope and see that it doesn’t snarl. I’m going to get the wire cable ready, and see to the boat.”
“Humph! That man might be a cousin to Chunky,” observed Ned in a low voice, as he noted the rope custodian.
“Aw, cut it out,” pleaded Bob, who was sensitive about his fleshiness.
“Where’s the professor?” asked Jerry, suddenly, looking about. “I haven’t seen him for five minutes.”
The boys looked over the crowd. Most of the people were thronged about the airship, inspecting it, but, off to one side there was a little group, which seemed strangely agitated. Then there came an excited exclamation, and a long handled net was thrust upward.
“There’s the professor,” observed Bob. “Probably he’s capturing a slab-sided mud turtle, or some other queer creature.”
“We can come back for him,” remarked Ned. “He’ll be better satisfied to stay here and catch bugs than come with us while we’re running the cable.”