ourth of his estate. The other half
I am to have for myself if I fulfill the trust. That is, I get it if I
can succeed in finding the two girls, and I need not tell you that I
shall be very glad of the large sum of money--not for myself, oh, no!"
said Professor Snodgrass quickly, "but that I may devote it to the
furtherance of the interests of science. If I can solve the problem,
and find the two girls, I shall have a large sum at my disposal, and I
can then fulfill a life-long desire to undertake the study of the
insects of the Amazon River. That is what I have always desired to do
since I took up my studies, but I always lacked the means. Now, if I
succeed in finding these two girls, I shall have wealth enough to
travel in South America."

"And where are the girls?" asked Jerry.

"Somewhere in Germany or France," was the answer. "The latter country,
I think. I have, among my papers, their last address. But since the
war there is no telling where I may find them. I have written a number
of letters, but have had no answers. Now I must go to seek them, and,
at the same time, make a study of the effect of battle noises on
crickets and grasshoppers. Is it any wonder that I seem puzzled? Was
there ever such a hard problem for a peace-loving scientist to
solve?"

"It isn't going to be easy," admitted Ned. "Then you really expect to
go across?"

"Yes. And since I understand you are going, we may go together; or at
least meet there, for I suppose I shall not be allowed on a transport,
being a civilian."

"Hardly," assented Jerry. "But if, as you say, you have passports and
credentials and letters of introduction, it may be arranged. You had
better see our colonel. He seems to have taken quite a notion to
you."

"Thank you; I will," promised the scientist. "And now I think I had
better go back and see about Ticula and Pete Bumps. Pete may be
worried about me."

"Just a moment," suggested Ned. "If we are to help you in the search
for these two girls, we ought to know something more about them."

"That is right," assented the professor; "and I hope you will help me.
The problem of finding the two young ladies would be easy were it not
for the war. But they have been missing since the conflict started,
and I can get no trace of them. I hope they are still living, for, if
they are dead, all the wealth Professor Petersen left goes to a humane
society for the care of distressed cats and dogs and to provide a
shelter for t