“Wa’al land o’ Goshen,” gasped out the farmer, bewildered.  “What in ther name of time is this?”

“A splendid specimen of gneiss,” explained the professor triumphantly, “and now, Mr.—­er—­you were saying?”

“That I wants ter be paid fer ther damage ter my fence.”

“How much do you want?” asked Jack, coming to the rescue.

“Reckon a dollar’ll be about right.”

“If you will let me lend it to you till we reach your home, I’ll be very glad to pay him,” said Jack aside to the professor.

“But, my dear young friend, there is no necessity.  He has ample security till I can send him a check.  Why, that bag of specimens is worth fifty dollars at least.”

“Them old rocks,” sniffed the farmer, who had overheard this last remark, “I wouldn’t give yer ten cents fer a cartload uv ’em.  They’re too small fer fences an’ too big to throw at cows.”

“You’d better let me pay him,” said Jack, and the professor finally consented to this arrangement.

This done, they started back on the run to the professor’s home, which was about three miles off.  On the way they dropped the red-faced farmer and his hands, who clearly regarded the professor as some sort of an amiable lunatic.  But that worthy man, supremely happy despite his wet clothes, was quite contented, and from time to time dipped into his satchel, like a bookworm into a favorite volume, and drew out a particularly valued specimen and admired it.

They soon reached his home, a pretty cottage on the outskirts of Creston, a small town with elm-shaded streets.  The professor invited the boys to accompany him into the house.  They were met in the passage by a shrill-voiced woman who looked like the professor in petticoats.

“My sister, Miss Melissa,” said the professor.  “My dear, these are——­”

But he got no further in his introduction.  Miss Melissa’s hands went up in the air and her voice rose in a shrill shriek as she saw her brother’s condition.

“Lan’s sakes, Jerushah, where have you been?” she exclaimed.

“My dear, I must apologize for my condition,” said the professor mildly.  “You see I——­”

“You’re dripping a puddle on my carpets.  You’re wringing wet through!” shrilled Miss Melissa.

“Yes, you see, my dear, I’ve been down a well,” explained the man of science calmly.

“Do tell!  Down a well, Jerushah?  At your time of life!”

“You see I was after specimens, my dear,” went on the professor.

“Specimens!” exclaimed Miss Melissa.  “The whole house is full of old rocks now, Jerushah, an’ you have ter go down a well to get more.”

“These are very valuable, my dear,” said the professor, floundering helplessly.

“Oh, don’t tell me.  A passel of old rocks.  I’m going to get you a hot mustard footbath and some herb tea right away,” and without another word, except something about “death of cold, passel of boys,” the good lady flounced off.