CHAPTER VI
A STRANGE CONVERSATION
WHAT the boys saw made them stop short in amazement, and they had hard
work not to burst into laughter at the sight of the professor, but
they knew he would be offended if they made fun of him.
Professor Uriah Snodgrass had dropped his valise on the doorstep, and
the impact had caused it to open, thereby liberating a number of toads
and lizards which were crawling about the steps. In his hand the
scientist held a large magnifying glass, through which he was staring
at something on the arm of the servant. She had her sleeves rolled up
to her elbows, for she had been busy sweeping when she answered the
door bell.
"Let me go!" cried the young woman. "You are crazy! I'll call the
police!"
"One moment! One moment!" pleaded the professor eagerly. "I must have
that spider. There!" and with a sudden motion he captured the small
insect and transferred it to a tiny glass box. "I have it! Oh, this is
a most fortunate day for me. The museum will be very glad to get this.
It is a perfect specimen," and he peered at it through his magnifying
glass, as it crawled around, a captive in the box.
"Hello, Professor!" greeted Ned. "Glad to see you."
"Oh, Ned, how are you?" asked the scientist, without glancing up from
his inspection of the spider. "Luck seems to be with me as soon as I
arrive at your house. I have a spider--"
"Yes, but you'll not have any of those other specimens long, if you
don't get busy," put in Bob.
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