ea. The finer dust and
the icy particles from the condensed vapor reached extreme heights in
the air. These dust particles spread all round the world, completing the
circuit in fifteen days.

"The sunsets were extraordinarily red, because, in the very thin air of
great heights, there was an unusual amount of dust which had been forced
there by the great volcanic outburst. It took three years for this dust
gradually to settle into the lower air, and this made the sunsets that
Pat speaks of. The great eruption of Mont Pele in 1902 created unusually
beautiful sunsets in America for a couple of months afterward, but, of
course, this was not to be compared to the Krakatoa eruption.

"It's curious, though, boys," he said, "that Bert, here, should have
been writing this article on sunsets, because it happens that I've got
something here quite important to show you."

Walking to the table, he took a large home-made portfolio from under
his arm and spread it out. He untied it, threw open the cover and
stepped back to let the boys look. They crowded round.

"Oh--oh!" said one. "Isn't that bully!"

The Forecaster turned over a second picture.

This was greeted with cries of delight, and one of the lads added:

"I saw a sunset exactly like that only a week ago!"

The Forecaster bent down and looked at a pencilled note underneath the
vivid chalk drawing.

"It is dated just a week ago," he said.

"I didn't know you drew with chalks!" said Ross.

For answer, the Forecaster smiled and turned to another one. The first
few had been a little crude, but it was evident that they improved as
the series went on. All of them, in a curious way, possessed the faculty
of giving a real impression of the sunset.

"So you like them," the Weather Man said, when the whole series had been
examined.

"They're dandies," declared Ross, and Fred added:

"I wish we could use them as colored plates in the _Review_."

"Who do you suppose drew them?" the Weather Man asked.

"Didn't you?" queried several of the boys together.

The Forecaster shook his head.

"One of the boys?" asked Ross.

Again the Forecaster made a negative gesture.

"A boy drew them," he said, "but not a member of the Mississippi League
of the Weather."

"Who was it, Mr. Levin?" pleaded Anton.

"Caesar," he answered, "down on McDowell's place."

"Caesar!" exclaimed Fred; "it couldn't be. Why, he's--" he checked
himself just in time, remembering that Dan'l was clo