Damon. I shall be delighted, in short, and
I can start as soon as you are ready."
"There's no hope for it!" thought Tom, dismally. "I suppose
he'll wake up every morning, and predict that before night the
world will come to an end, or he'll prophesy that the airship
will blow up, and vanish, when about seven miles above the
clouds. Well, there's no way out of it, so here goes."
Thereupon Tom welcomed the scientist as cordially as he could,
and invited him to form one of the party that would set off in
the airship to search for Phantom Mountain.
"Bless my jewelry box!" exclaimed Mr. Damon, when this
formality was over. "Tell me more about it, Tom."
Which our hero did, stating the need of maintaining secrecy on
account of the danger to Mr. Jenks. Mr. Damon and Mr. Parker both
agreed to say nothing about the matter, and then the scientist
became much interested in the Red Cloud, which he closely
examined. He even complimented Tom on the skill shown in making
it, and, contrary to our hero's expectation, did not predict that
it would blow up the next time it was used.
"How did you happen to arrive just at this time, Mr. Damon?"
asked Tom.
"It was partly due to Mr. Parker," was the answer. "I had not
seen him since we were rescued from the island, until a few days
ago he called on me at my home.
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