The Detroit times., 1908-06-11
BY WILLIAM WALLACE COOK.

'S'oa9hSi Sclenllnc man that
ever struck this rodeo. He drifted into
camp on his uppersl and very much
hoWn ON his luck. as balmy as a Chi.
nook wind and about as refreshing.
lie was habit and We acquired him.
For many week IL you wanted TO
stand pat with the boys all YOU had to
remark was that the professor SAYS
this' or the professor does that. What.
ever the professor said and did ranked
pretty high before he worked that
grand hocus pocus In the mill. After
that things were different.
He shaped up a good deal like the
shadow OF skeleton man, bony and
loose and temptation for every four
knot breeze TO lift him and watt him
elsewhere. But the cyclone never blew
that could do business with Bings. He
weighed tons when he wanted to and
his magnificent nerve held him to-
gether. Nor was he ever known to
dodge calamity except once. and that
was when he faded out OF our midst
at the Tenstrike. When he came to
as he was a stranger and We took him
In; then he reciprocated
Two days after reaching camp he
introduced the game OF monte. Not
that the time-honored game needed
any introduction TO most Of US, but he
had individualized 1t until II defied our
recognition. When we got together
and took stock, after the monte fever
bad subsidized, we discovered that the
professor had won all the good clothes
! in camp. from Eph Perkins $40 So
hot hn n
once been the pride OF One.Eyed Bax-
ter and the Sunday foot-gear OF Abe
Little. who was doing some counting
over Phoenix way. But Bings was
such quaint little cuss we none OF US
had the heart to grumble or to make a
too rigid examination OF the backs OF
the monte deck.
AS soon as he had made himself re-
spectacle, the professor proceeded to
shove a new scene into the groove.
Armed with a cold-chisel and Ave
pound hammer, he wandered through
the hills.
Just prospecting" he used to ex-
plain. as he dragged himself into camp
simultaneously with the sounding of
the suppergong. But not for gold"
he would add. THE love of gold Is
the root of all evil and heaven forbid
that l should be the cause OF turning
any more evil loose In the world than
there Is In IT already. I'm prospecting
for the remains OF an elephantus 81
gantus which. II my search proves sue
cessful. | shall forward to the Smith
sonian Institution at Washington"
Bings didn't find the elephantus. but
he dug up the finest specimen OF pet
rified man that the boys ever set eyes
on. The relic was put on exhibition in
the old clubhouse. four-bits a head for
outsiders and two bits for the Ten
strike men.
Prosperity smiled upon Bings. The
fame OF his petrified man travelled
from Casa Grande as far north as Big
Bug, and east and west In proportion.
Our camp became the Mecca Of the
morbidly curious and II One-Eyed Bax'
ter hadn't sneaked up on the professor
after exhibition hours. and found him
quarreling with his petrified man about
the returns, suppose the graft would
have continued indefinitely.
Baxter saw enough with his one eye
to keep him talking for week; and
he did talk, for brooding over the loss
of his linen had made him revengefui.
He told how Bings had gone across the
desert TO Frog Tanks and had hired
greaser at dollar day and found TO
play dead and allow himself to be
whitewashed. The, expose. while II
ruined the professors business, only
heightened his popularity. We began
to see that he was cute as well AZ
quaint
After Baxter had glutted his ven
geance. the professor was quiet Tor
month spending his money like water
among the boys but not on water py A
long chalk His bright talents would
not permit him to remain long mac
tive and he took to roaming again
this time with Winchester and q
beltful Of cartridges
wouldn't II be the best Joke you
ever heard Of" said Baxter, III Bings
made a mistake and held up the Mon
tezuma stage during one OF those gun
ming trips OF his?"
That remark came to the professor
ears and 1t hurt him. He'd play mont
he said and he'd win IL he could; aho
for the fun and profit to be got Out
OF IL: but as for holding up a stage
well who'd suppose that the loss Oh
boiled shirt would put such IDEAS
into IA mans head?
The professor didn't hold up the
stage. On the contrary. he TOOK 10
bringing In wildcats and coyotes, anu
ella Monsters, and rattlesnakes, and
such vermin. and when ne hau
collected enough for fair-sized men
agerie. he gave his Winchester away
and went to stuffng his collection.
Pm getting them ready TOT tue
Smithsonian Institution be conndeo
TO the boys on the night SHIFT In the
mill--for he was at the mill every
night. examining battery boxes anu
planning improvements, as ne sa,u
| And whenever he went 10 the MIL ne
carried a bottle which he exploited as
he observed. purely for the sake OF
sociabillty and the general now oi
soul.
Two weeks after the professor be
gan his visits 10 the mill, some W.
0oo worth OF amalgam was found 10 be
missing and the super. upon learning
how the professor had been studying
the battery boxes, waited upon him and
asked him gently. but firmly II ne
had seen anything OF the missing
amalgam.
That was the last straw Inc pro-
fessor was cut 70 the heart and vowe1
that he would leave the Tenstrike'
which be had SO long honored with
his presence. and never more return
Henceforward. he declared. he would
.......,.. Nc scienfinr pRfiRaflOna In