"Isn't he coming?"
"He promised to be here," announced Mr. Seabury. "Probably he is on
his way now."
At that moment a commotion was heard outside the private dining-room
which Mr. De Vere had engaged. A voice was saying:
"I tell you I will go in! I'm invited! My clothes? What about my
clothes? All mud? Of course they're all mud. I couldn't help it!"
Then the door flew open and a curious sight was presented. There stood
the professor, his coat split up the back, his trousers torn, and his
hat smashed. Splashes of mud were all over him.
"What is the matter?" cried Mr. Seabury, in alarm.
"Nothing," replied the professor calmly. "I have caught two horned
toads, that's all. I saw them as I was on the way here, and I had to
go into a mud puddle to get them. I fell down, but I got the toads,"
and he held up a small cage, in which were the ugly creatures.
"Ugh!" exclaimed Nellie.
"Good for you, Professor!" cried Jerry. "You got the toads and we got
our prize money!"
"Yes, but I would rather have these toads than all your prize money,"
replied the professor. "They are beauties," he added, fondly.
The dinner was a joyous affair, and it is a question who was the
happiest, the professor, over the capture of the horned toads, the
boys over the successful outcome of their cruise on the Pacific, or
Mr. De Vere, who had recovered his fortune. At any rate they all had a
good time.
"Well," remarked Bob, when the supper was over, and they were on their
way back to the bungalow, "I suppose we'll soon have to think of
getting back east, and beginning school.
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