“No, we’ve only got headway enough on now to keep us afloat! No time to slow up!”
“Then go down!” advised Bob. “He won’t fall so far.”
“No, we’ve got to pull him back right away!” declared the tall lad. “Come on now. He must have fainted, and has very nearly fallen off. Grab his legs! Quick!”
Cautiously the three lads advanced toward the edge of the platform, over which the professor’s head and shoulders were hanging.
Jerry made a grab for the left leg, Ned for the right, while the stout lad stood ready to lend whatever assistance might be needed.
No sooner, however, had Ned and Jerry gotten a good hold, and were about to haul in, than the professor, with a combination wiggle and squirm turned over, hitched himself along the deck, sat upright and yelled:
“I’ve got it! I’ve got it! Oh, you little beauty! Oh, you prize! I thought you’d never come near enough but you did, and now you’re mine!”
Over his head he swung his large butterfly net, with a long handle, and before the astonished boys could ask what was the meaning of his conduct, the scientist gathered into a small space in a pocket in the bottom of the net, a tiny insect, something like a dragon-fly. Then, having insured the safety of his specimen, Mr. Snodgrass looked calmly at the boys who stood regarding him with amazement and fear mingled on their faces.
“Well, I got it,” said the scientist coolly.
“Got what?” asked Jerry, a little provoked at the scare they had received.
“This high-flying June bug. That’s not the scientific name for it, but the Latin one is so long you wouldn’t understand it. I’ve got him!” and the professor eagerly peered at his prize.
“We thought we had lost you,” spoke Ned significantly.
“Why, when we saw you lying over the edge of the deck we were afraid you had nearly fallen overboard.”
“I’m sorry you had such a scare on my account,” remarked the professor more soberly. “You see I had no idea that I was causing you worry. I was sitting on the back of the airship, wishing I could catch some specimen, when I heard a buzzing sound. I looked, and there, following us was one of these rare insects.
“I at once got my longest-handled net, but when I tried to catch the little beauty it dodged me. Finally it went down just below us, and the only way I could reach it was to lie on my face, reach out and down as far as I could, and swoop for it.”