were all numbered, and I was longing intensely
for them to be opened, when Uncle Dick, as I suppose I must call him
now, made me start by crying out:

"Screw-driver!"

I jumped up and ran to Uncle Joe's tool-box for the big screw-driver,
and was back with it in a very short time, Uncle Dick laughing heartily
as he saw my excitement.

"Thank you, Nat, that will do," he said. "It will be nice and handy for
me to-morrow morning."

"Ha--ha--ha!" he laughed directly after, as he saw my blank disappointed
face. "Did you think I was going to open the cases to-day, Nat?"

"I did hope so, sir," I said stoutly.

"Then I will," he cried, "for your being so frank. Now then, which
shall it be?"

"I should begin with number one, sir," I said.

"And so we will, Nat. Nothing like order. Look here, my boy. Here is
my book for cataloguing."

He showed me a large blank book ruled with lines, and on turning it over
I found headings here and there under which the different specimens were
to be placed.

But I could not look much at the book while "our great traveller", as
Uncle Joe used to call him to me, was busy at work with the
screw-driver, taking out the great screws, one after another, and laying
them in a box.

"Now, Nat," he said, "suppose after going through all my trouble I find
that half my specimens are destroyed, what shall I do?"

"I don't know, uncle," I said. "I know what I should do."

"What, my boy?"

"Go and try and find some more."

"A good plan," he said laughing; "and when it means journeying ten or
twelve thousand miles, my boy, to seek for more, it becomes a serious
task."

All this while he was working away at the screws, till they were half
out and loose enough for me to go on turning them with my fingers, and
this, after the first two or three, I did till we came to the last, when
my uncle stopped and pretended that it was in so tight that it would not
turn.

"Let me try, uncle," I cried.

"You? Nonsense! boy. There, I think we shall have to give up for
to-day."

He burst out laughing the next moment at my doleful face, gave the screw
a few rapid twists; and in a few more moments it was out, and he took
hold of the lid.

"Ready?" he exclaimed.

"Yes, quite ready," said Uncle Joe, who was nearly as much excited as I
was myself; and then the lid was lifted and we eagerly looked inside.

There was not much to see, only what looked like another lid, held in
its place by a few st