nd
fortunes to go to Europe and take just such baths."

"Reckon I'd go without washin' then," commented Zeb.

"I'd just as soon bathe in rotten eggs," said Dick.

"Well," said Jack, "I guess we've got off about all the mud we can for
the present. We'd better be getting back. It's mighty fortunate that
we came in time."

"Yes, I was slipping into the stuff all the time," said the professor.
"If I'd been alone on the island I might have never been seen again,"
he added in quite a matter-of-fact tone. "It's too bad I lost that bag
of fossils, though. I had some fine specimens."

"Goodness, no wonder you sank down!" exclaimed Jack. "Why didn't you
let go of them?"

The scientist was mildly surprised.

"Why, how could I," he asked, "until it became a question of life or
death? It's too bad I had to lose them," and he shook his head
mournfully at the thought.

The journey was soon resumed, the Wondership rising buoyantly out of
the dismal canyon. They were not sorry to get back to the upper air
for the gloom of the deep gulch had affected their spirits. But so
much time had been consumed in getting the professor out of his
predicament that it was not long before twilight set in and they still
had caught no glimpse of anything resembling the island they were in
search of.

They decided to come to earth and make camp for the night and resume
the search in the morning. They made a hearty supper off the venison
which remained, and turned in, without setting any watch, as there was
no necessity for it out there with not a soul about for scores of
miles.

It was about midnight when Jack was awakened by a wild yell from Tom.

"Ow! Ouch! Leggo my toe!" the younger of the Boy Inventors was
shouting.

CHAPTER XXX.

NIGHT ON THE COLORADO.

"What's the matter? What has happened?" cried Jack.

"Is it Indians?" cried Dick, who had a lively imagination.

"Something grabbed my foot," declared Tom.

"Grabbed your foot?" repeated Jack.

"Well, maybe, nibbled at it, would be better," replied Tom. "It isn't
hurt, but I was awakened by it. I guess the thing, whatever it was,
must have been scared away."

"What could it have been?" came from Dick.

"Perhaps it was a bear," suggested Tom.

"A bear, nonsense. I guess it was all imagination," scoffed Jack. "You
ate too much at supper, Tom."

"It was not imagination, I tell you," retorted Tom indignantly. "I
felt it just as plainly as anything."

"Well, I don't