The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-06-02
GOT THE EGGS FRESH
They Were Turtle Eggs and
 AgassiZ Wanted Them.
A WILD RACE AGAINST TIME.
The Professor Had to Have the Eeos Before They Were Three Hours old, and This Is the Story of How the Hunter Made Good His Promise.

and This Is the Story of How the
 Hunter Made Good His Promise.
 When Professor Louis Agassiz was writing a book on the turtles Of the United States it became necessary for him to have some fresh turtle eggs. He engaged MT Jenks of Middiebo~o, about forty miles from Cambridge. to get them for him. Mr. Jenke promised that the eggs should be tH Agassiz's s hands before they were three hours old. MT. Jenks, who told the tale to a writer in the Atlantic Monthly, had to wait by certain pond for the tur- ties to come out and lay their eggs in the sand. Finally. after weeks of waiting. one morning about o'clock a turtle crawled up the beach, partly buried herself in the soft sand and laid her eggs. MT. Jenks went on to say:
 4. There was no train till after 9, and the eggs must be in Cambridge in three hours.
 I laid the eggs on a bed of sand in the bottom of my pail. filled in be- tween them with more sand, so with another layer to the rim, and, covering all over smoothly with more sand, I ran back for my horse He knew as we'll as I that the turtle had laid and that he was to get those eggs to Agas- sig.
 I let him out. I shouted to him, holding to the dssher with one hand, the pail of eggs with the other, not daring to get off my knees, although the bang on them as we bounded down the wood road was terrific. We had nearly covered the distance to the pike when ahead of me I heard the sharp whistle of locomotive.
 With a pull that lifted the horse from his feet swung him into field and sent him straight as an arrow for the track
 By some stroke of luck I got on the track and backed off before the train hit my carriage. But the maneuver was successful, for the engineer stop ped, and swung aboard the cab-hat- less, dew soaked. smeared with yellow mud and holding as if it were baby or a bomb little tin pail of sand.
 Throw her wide open," I command ed-"wide open! These are fresh tur- tie eggs for Professor Agassiz of Cam bridge. He must have them before breakfast"
 The engineer and the fireman no doubt thought that I was crazy, but they let me alone, and the fast freight rolled in swiftly to Boston.
 But misfortune was ahead. We slowed down ill the yards and came to a stop. We were put on siding to wait no one knew how long.
 I suddenly jumped from the engine, slid over a high fence and bolted for the street. In the empty square stood cab.
 The cabman saw me coming. waved a dollar at him and then an- other, dOdged into the cab, slammed the door and called out: "Cambridge! Harvard college. Professor Agassiz's house. I've got eggs for Agassiz!' and pushed another dollar up at him through the hole.
 "Let him go!'' ordered. Here's an- other dollar for you if you make Agas- siz's house in twenty minutesr
 We flew to Cambridge. There was sudden lurch, and I dived forward, rammed my head into the front of the cab and came up with a rebound that landed me across the small of my back on the seat and sent half of my pail of eggs helter skelter over the floor. But we were at Agassiz's house. I tumbled out and pounded the door.
 "Agassiz!" I gasped when the maid came. 'I want Professor Agassiz, quick.''
 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 himi 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 a swift, clean stroke laid open one of the eggs as the watch in my trembling hands licked it's way to z as if nothing unusual were hap pening in the history of the world.