ould be a
catastrophe indeed, would it not? So I plan to keep them on that hook;
then I shall always know where they are."

The crafty wretch! He could wake up in the night and put his hand on
those keys in the dark. Probably he often done so. I spoke a few simple
words of praise for his sagacity. And after this interesting lecture on
his trunk and its keys, and a good look at the accurate layout of his one
million belongings, I had his number. He was the oldest living boy scout.

And this poor girl with the designful eyes on him was the oldest
living debutante. I learned afterward that the great aim of science
is classification. I had these two classified in no time, like I'd
been pottering away at science all my life. Why, say, this Oswald
person even carried a patent cigar lighter that worked! You must of seen
hundreds of them nickel things that men pay money for. They work fine in
the store where you buy 'em. But did you ever see one work after the man
got it outside, where he needed it? The owner of one always takes it out,
looking strained and nervous, and presses the spring; and nothing happens
except that he swears and borrows a match. But Oswald's worked every
time. It was uncanny! Only a boy scout could of done it.

So they got settled and the field work begun next day. The two men would
ride off early to a place about five miles north of here that used to be
an ancient lake--so I was told. I don't know whether it did or not. It's
dry enough now. It certainly can't be considered any part of our present
water supply. They would take spades and hammers and magnifying glasses
and fountain pens, and Oswald's cigar lighter and some lunch, and come
back at night with a fine mess of these here trilobites and vertebrae;
and ganoids and petrified horseflies, and I don't know what all; mebbe
oyster shells, or the footprints of a bird left in solid rock, or the
outlines of starfish, or a shrimp that was fifty-two million years old
and perfectly useless.

They seemed to have a good time. And Oswald would set up late writing
remarks about the petrified game they had brought in.

I didn't used to see much of 'em, except at night when we'd gather for
the evening meal. But their talk at those times did wonders for me. All
about the aims of science and how we got here and what of it. The Prof
was a bulky old boy, with long gray hair and long black eyebrows, and
the habit of prevailing in argument. Him and Oswald never did