nearly drowned in a well and then begins chopping at a rock as soon as
he gets out."

"Oh, this has been a lucky day for me," said the professor with huge
satisfaction, as he placed his latest acquisition in the satchel. "As
fine a specimen, boys, as ever I encountered," he declared, turning to
the boys.

"Gracious," exclaimed Tom and Dick in low tones, "does he call getting
chased by a bull and then tumbling down a well a satisfactory day?"

"I should call it a rocky time," grinned Dick.

But at this moment further conversation was cut short by the sudden
arrival of a gray-haired, short little old man with a tuft of gray
whiskers on his chin.

"Josh Crabtree!" exclaimed the red-faced farmer.

"Wow! now the music starts," declared Dick.

Josh Crabtree, his face ablaze, and his small, malignant eyes
sparkling angrily, emitted a roar like that of his Holstein that had
caused the professor so much tribulation.

"Say, be you the pesky varmints that tore down my fence and scared my
bull out'n two years' growth?" he bellowed.

"I removed some stones from your fence, sir," said the professor, "but
it was in the interests of science. You may not have been aware of it,