Oxford Democrat., 1917-01-02
Difficulties Of a
Scientist
He Narrowly Escapes
Hanging

81 no 1N0[IoWAy GsCoPes
s. Hanging :
|{ By F. A. Mitchell
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Professor Dibbley was In his room In
University han examining some theses
Of students on the antiquity Of man
when a sweep entered and deposited
box. When it was opened It was
found to contain q lawbone and q let
ter.
Professor Dibbley dropped the letter
and snatched up the bone.
thank heaven, the teeth are pre-
servedw he remarked az he flashed hts
eyes on them, and, taking up a mi
croscope, he brought it to bear on
every tooth. every protrusion Of the
bone.
There was a knock at the door
several knocks before the professor
heard any Of them, 80 intent was he
on his treasure. Finally he bade the
knocker enter. Professor Holhster
came In.
"Hollister," cried Dibbley e1citedly,
"what do you suppose Bowers has sent
us? The jaw Of a prehistoric man.
They've struck one Of those caves that
abound in Europe and have added
one jawbone- first discovered In
America-to the worlds collection Of
relics of the men Of the old stone
age"
what race?"
every like the Neanderthal"
"How do you know"
'By the teeth. They are all in place"
Let me see, where do you archaeo-
logic gentlemen place the Neanderthal
manY
HE flourished at least 25,000 years
ago; probably further back than that"
you'll have to go out there and ex-
anime the cave yourself. We must re-
port the matter at once"
There are explicit directions as to
the location Of the cave" replied Dib-
bley, taking up another paper which
he had not noticed.
Professor Dibbley reported the find
and the same evening was on q train
speeding westward. So long as he
was In car under the care Of the con.
ductor and the porter, with a dining
car next forward from which to draw
food, the professor was all right. he
was so engrossed In bones and stones
the students called him Archie, which
they considered an abbreviaton OF
archaeologist-that he was utterly Dell
Client of the common affairs Of life. A
facetious sophomore asserted that he
must be Of the canine species himself,
he was 80 addicted to bones. But
when Professor Dibbley was put out
Of the train In the Rocky mountains to
shift for himself he. was like a child
who had not learned to walk. There
were a few houses near the station.
and before one Of them q horse, sad
died and bridled, stood without mas
ter. A rough looking man came along,
and the professor asked him II the
horse could be hired. The man gave
him a glance such as cat would give
q mouse and assured him that 1t could
A brief interview followed, at the end
Of which Dibbley gave the man IS and
took the horse on which to ride to the
cave.
The professor mounted the beast
with difficulty and set out on a jog
trot, stopping occasionally to hold his
directions up against his glasses. He
had difficulty in following them, and,
meeting a girl Of the country mounted
on a mule, he appealed to her for infor-
nation. An interview ended In her
Offering to show him the way.
"What y goin' thar for?' she asked.
'That cave" said the professor, In
the beginning remembering that he
was talking to ignorance. but soon for
getting 1t, contains the bones Of
man Of great antiquity, at least 25,000
years."
'That beats the old feller in the Bi.
BILE, don't it?"
Several races occupied Europe sue
cessively," continued the professor,
''some Of them being hundreds Of thou
sands Of years"-
Lord, save us! What kind Of lookin'
things was they?"
Something like an ape, small facial
angle, heavy protrusions over the
eyes. But the latest race Of men who
lived In the stone age were not so un-
like modern civilized men as might be
supposed"
"How old was theyT
"They are placed by archaeologasts
at 10000 to 1900 years"
"Geewillikinsl Was the women that
old too?"
"Of course"
The girl looked sidewise at the pro-
lessor pityingly. She wondered how
q person with an upset brain had been
permitted to get OF by himself to talk
about people thousands Of years old.
Presently there was sound Of horses
hoofs galloping behind them. The girl
turned and saw a horseman coming
hckety split. When he reached the
two wayfarers he refined In. They
heard an ominous click and the words
''Hands up!" The professor turned
and looked at a ferocious party. cover
ing him with an immense revolver.
The girl spurred her horse between the
professor and his enemy and made
signs to the latter % desist from shoot
ing the former, who didn't know
enough to put up his hands when told
to do 80.
"what Is It, Mart?'' said the girl.
"What Is It? Why. he's tuck my
horse"
She appealed to the professor, who
explained that he had hired the boris
| from It's owner.
.That story don't 60 down nonow.'
a.