The Lambertville record., 1911-12-29


Diggers in the earth are of various
kinds. At one extreme stands the mole.
at the other the hunter after buried
treasures, such as the bones of extinct
animals or the palaces of kings long
dead. Professor Upton belonged to
the delivers for fossils. He was barely
thirty years old. small of stature, a
tri6e bald on the forehead and wore
glasses. There was nothing beautiful
about the professor except his smile,
and that was beautiful because II was
childlike. One seeing the innocent
parting Of his lips, accompanied by
soft look that appeared in his eyes, felt
Immediately like taking up the little
man and hugging him.
Now, it having been reported TO the
directors of the museum of which Pro-
fessor Upton was curator that the tip
of the tail of some enormous animal
had been struck in digging well in
a western territory, the curator was
directed to repair to the spot, take
iOUk db Tue uSlSi "
what animal 1t belonged. whether 1t
was worth digging for and the cost of
exhumation.
In due time the professor reached
a settlement so4Le five or six miles
from where the fossilized bones were
located and, learning that the only way
to reach them would be on horseback,
called for horse, mounted him and
proceeded on his way. He had pro-
ceeded about half the distance when
he saw ahead of him what looked like
the dim outline of a cowboy, but as he
and the coming object drew nearer he
noticed that the rider was feminine
''How do?" she said as she reined In
her steed.
The professor had never heard this
form Of greeting before and did not
understand 1t. However, he refined in
his horse and smiled.
The smile was something very new
to the girl. The coarse guffaw of the
plainsman or the diabolical grin of the
Indian was the only expression of a
genial disposition she had ever seen.
-'s--.ssWhat v doin' out here, strangerW
she asked.
I'm goin' to the fork of the river"
he replied.
"What y goin' there forT'
A reply to an uneducated person was
difficult, but the professor explained
his object as well as he could.
'Y' think it's some kind o. varmintT'
she asked.
'T don't know what a varmint Is.
but 1 suspect what I'm going to look
at will turn out to be either masto-
don or a dinosaur"
"And don't know what them are.
don't see no shootin' iron about y.
Where do y carry itT'
81 didn't think to bring a weapon.
Do need oneT
''Well, now. y are the most inno-
cent kid / ever seen. Need gun
I'll 60 with " 1t would be pity to
leave q little feller like y to wander
about with not even a toy pistol"
Turning her horses head. she rode
back with Professor Upton. There
was something odd In the defenseless
man being under the protection or this
armed girl. He found her especially
useful as a guide. for she knew the re-
gion perfectly and took him to the
point he wished to find. There was
no one on the ground to locate the ex.
act spot, but the girl told him she had
seen some men digging and landed MIN
where they had begun to bore the well
The moment the professor caught slghl
of a few mammoth vertebrae that hao
been exposed he clasped his hands
raised his mild eyes to heaven ano
his lips moved in thanks.
"Its a dinosaur," said the professor
''Y' don't mean itv'
"Judging from these few yerteorae
It must be sixty or seventy feet long
"Goshp'
"And, Judging from the horizonta
position of what is exposed, there VII
be little cost in getting 1t out
"will It pay?"
The professor did not hear this cues
ton. He had picked up a stick lyini
near and was scraping away the olrt
"How long has 1t been there| asRe'
the girl.
mot less than 10000 years"
"Don't y think it's rather iate il
the day to disturb it?"
At that moment there was ciatte
Of hoofs in the distance, and SINAI
party of men were seen galloping to
ward them. AZ,
Spy gum" exclaimed the girl NJ
Sheriff Glen Barker! ! wonder VIVA
he's afterI'
aHello, Katel" exclaimed Barker y
he rode up. "What y dom caVortii
around with hoss thiefF
Now, It is time to explain tnat ~
professor, after having left the se..'
ment. stopped at a farmhouse iol
drink of buttermilk. He had rluuen
gray horse thus far, but wnen ne ~
the house mounted roam without y
ticing the change in color. a man WI WI
had stolen the roam, being hard presSe
by the sheriff and a posse seeins
comparatively fresh mount ni'che'
post, changed horses. .,
aHe amt no boss thief" repheo :.
girl. Hes a. What air y anyway
II am az :. >,
.See here" interrupted one OF !, !,
party, "y' may be anything hke' W
that's my boss y been rioin'