Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1910-06-08
GOT THE EGGS FRESH
They Were Turtle Eggs and
Agassiz Wanted Them.
A WILD RACE AGAINST TIME.
The Professor Had TO Have tho Eees
Before They Were Three hours Old.
and This Is the Story Of How tho
Hunter Made Coed His Promise.

&no nus ~ tne Storr OF ROW the
Hunter Made Coed His Promise.
When Professor Louis Agas<is was
writing book on the turtles OF the
United States II became nescssary Tor
him to have some fresh turtlF Eggs.
he engaged Mr.. jerks OF Middleboro.
about forty miles from Cambridge. TO
get them for him Mr.. Jenks Promised
that the eggs should be In Agass,z's
hands before they were three hours
old Mr.. jerks. who told the tale to
writer in the Atlantic Monthly. had
to wait by certain pond for the tur-
ties to come out aud lay their eggs In
the sand Finally. after weeks OF
waiting. one morning about O'Clock
q turtle crawled up the beach. partly
buried herself In the soft sand aad
laid her eggs Mr.. jerks went on TO
say:
AS she did so the distant clock struck
T. There was no train It'll after 8. aud
the eggs must be In Cambridge IN
three hours.
1 laid the eggs on bed OF sand In
the bottom Of my pail. hilcd In -.
tween them with more sand So w.,
another layer TO the rim. and. ..sv...s
all over smoothly with m.f. st,.
ran back for my hor~s.
well as | that the irr,
that he was tn get tn
siz.
let him out. / ~hea e
holding TO the daShpr VITA go.
the pail OF eggs with the ..si4
daring TO get On my knr,,>. nl.
the bang on them as we ipundtS. a.
the wood road was terrific. ~.
nearly covered the distance to th,s
when ahead OF me heard the S.,.,.
whistle Of a locomotive
With a pull that lifted the h"r~.-
from his feet | swung him into lic,d
and sent him straighi as an arr, ~
for the track
By some stroke of luck got on The.
track and backed of before the train
hit my carriage BUT The tnaneuver
was successful. for the engineer Slci,
ped. and ! swung aboarG the rah- G.t
less. dew soaked. smeared with yellow
mud and holding rs II II were n hahS
or bomb little tin pail of sand
Throw Der wide opeu." I command
ed-"wide open. These are fresh iur.
tie eggs for Professor Agassiz of Cam.
bridge. He must have them before
breakfast"
The engineer and the fireman no
doubt thought that | was crazy. but
they let me alone. and the fast freight
rolled In swiftly TO BOSTON
nt,e
slowed down IN the yards and came
TO stop. We were put on a siding
to wait no one knew how long.
suddenly jumped from the engine.
slid over a high fence and bolted for
the street In the empty square stood
a cab.
The cabman saw me coming. 1
waved a dollar at him and then an.
other. lodged into the cab. slammed
the door and called out: Cambridge.
Harvard college. Professor Agassiz's
house. I've got eggs for Agasslz." and
pushed another dollar up at him
through the hole.
Let him gor' ordered Here's an
other dollar for you II you make Agas-
siz's house In twenty minutesr'
We few TO Cambridge. There was
n sudden furch. and dived forward.
rammed my head into the front OF the
cab and came up with n rebound that
landed me across the small OF my
back on the seat and sent half Of my
pail OF eggs heller SHELTER over the
floor. But we were at AgassIz's house
tumbled out aud pounded the door.
"AgassiZ," | gasped when the maid
came II want Professor Agassiz.
QuickI''
She protested that he was In bed
and threatened the police. But Just
then door overhead was flung open. a
great. white robed figure appeared on
the dim landing above. and a quick.
loud voice called excitedly:
Let him In. Let him In, | know
him! He has my turtle eggs"
And the apparition. slipperless and
clad in anything but an academic
gown, came sailing downstairs. The
great man. his arms extended. laid
hold OF me with both hands and. drag
ging me and my precious pail into his
study. with swift. clean stroke laid
open one Of the eggs as the watch In
my trembling hands licked it's way TO
as II nothing unusual were hap
pening in the history of the world