wasn't sure." And taking the hint as quickly as it was given, Ben
presented the buttercup as if he knew all about it.

"You guessed that remarkably well. Now bring me a 'leontodon
taraxacum,'" said Thorny, charmed with the quickness of his pupil and
glad to display his learning.

Again Ben gazed, but the field was full of early flowers, and if a long
pencil had not pointed to a dandelion close by he would have been lost.

"Here you are, sir," he answered with a chuckle, and Thorny took his
turn at being astonished now.

"How the dickens did you know that?"

"Try it again, and may be you'll find out," laughed Ben.

Diving hap-hazard into his book, Thorny demanded a "trifolium
pratense."

The clever pencil pointed, and Ben brought a red clover, mightily
enjoying the joke, and thinking that _this_ kind of botany wasn't bad
fun.

"Look here, no fooling!" and Thorny sat up to investigate the matter,
so quickly that his sister had not time to sober down. "Ah, I've caught
you! Not fair to tell, Celia. Now, Ben, you've _got_ to learn all about
this buttercup, to pay for cheating."

"Werry good, sir; bring on your rhinoceriouses," answered Ben, who