“I should think so,” said Nat; “one whiff of it was quite enough for me.”
All this time, by the professor’s directions, the dirigible had been swung in wide circles at an altitude of about fifteen hundred feet. So interested had they all been in the professor’s description of the novel aeroplane gun, and in the other matters that had occupied their attention, that the big air cruiser had not yet been “tidied up.”
This was the next task to demand their attention. Joe set to work to hoist up and coil the rope which had been cast loose when the hasty ascent was made. But he hadn’t given it more than a couple of tugs before he uttered a shout that brought the others, except Mr. Tubbs, who was at the helm, running along the substructure to his side.
“What’s up now?” demanded Nat.
“Why, either this rope has caught in something below, or there’s something heavy attached to it,” was the astonishing response.
“Impossible for it to have caught,” declared the professor, “we are now fifteen hundred feet or more above the surface of the earth, and the rope is not more than a hundred feet long, at the most.”
“Well, feel it yourself,” responded Joe.
Nat gave the rope a tug. As Joe had said, there was clearly something heavy attached to the end of it. But what could it be?
“We’ll soon see,” said the professor. “Master Joe, attach another length of rope to it, and then have Master Bell switch power on the electric winch.”
This was done, and the powerful winch began to revolve, winding the rope on its barrel. As the rope began to grow shorter, the boys peered over the edge of the substructure in an effort to make out what could be at the end of it. The glow of light spread by the illuminated craft soon showed them.