"You cannot. You will be lucky if something worse doesn't happen to you."
"I am sorry if we have done anything wrong," spoke up Davis. "We got into the basket to look it over and the machinery started. But that is no reason why you should be so gruff about it."
"Get in there!"
"Come on; he's a grouch," exclaimed Sam. "I'd rather be viewing the scenery on the way down than standing here looking at that. Why, he needs only a cake of soap in his hand to make a full-page ad. of him."
Sam made a dive for the basket.
"Start your machinery going as soon as you want to," said Dan. "We are ready."
There followed a peculiar grinding sound. The basket began to move, gaining speed as it proceeded. It was going down much faster than it had ascended.
The boys waved their hands in farewell to the grouchy sentry.
"That's what I should term a formal call," announced Davis with a laugh.
"It wasn't a call at all; it was a call down," retorted Sam. "Wow! Just look over the side!"