“Wha—what was it?” Johnny felt a little giddy.
“Some huge creature of the deep. Perhaps a whale or a black fish,” Dave replied quietly. “It is known that they penetrate to these depths. Then again—perhaps it was some huge, scaly creature that inhabits these depths alone.”
“What if it had collided with us, or tangled in our cable?”
“Then,” Dave’s tone was dry and droll, “we might have taken a long, swift ride through space!”
“Swinging like a pendulum?”
“That’s it! On our thousands of feet of cable.”
“I shouldn’t like that,” Johnny shuddered.
“Then why bring it up?” Dave chuckled.
“Why, indeed!” Johnny laughed—
After another half hour of waiting, for one more fascinating spectacle, Dave decided to signal for their return to the top. Johnny experienced a real sense of relief.