“To the ship!” yelled Bill.
“There’s little danger now!” called Andy, panting, for the run had winded him. “They will hardly attack us in the light!”
And he was right, for, though they could hear the bats flying about inside the temple, and uttering their cries, none came outside.
But no one felt like staying near the uncanny structure, and little time was lost in reaching the Mermaid. Then the doors were fastened, and the ship was sent high up into the air.
“Which way?” asked Jack, when Mr. Henderson told him to go to the conning tower and steer.
“Back to where we first met the giants,” replied the professor. “We must prepare to start for our own earth again soon.”
“I’ve almost forgotten how real sunlight looks,” thought Jack, as he headed the ship around the other way. As he turned the levers a big diamond dropped from his pocket and rolled on the floor.
“This will be a good reminder of our trip though,” he added.
The travelers, even including Mr. Henderson, were so taken up with their suddenly acquired riches that they hardly thought of meals. At the professor’s suggestion they tied their gold and stones up in small packages convenient to carry.
“Better place them where you can grab them in a hurry in case of accident,” the old scientist went on. “Of course if there should be too bad an accident they would never be of any use to us down here, but we’ll look on the bright side of things.”