TURTLE EGGS FOR AGASSIZ 47 



the track, jumped out, and, running down the rails 

 with the astonished engineers gaping at me, swung 

 aboard the cab. 



"They offered no resistance; they hadn't had 

 time. Nor did they have the disposition, for I 

 looked strange, not to say dangerous. Hatless, 

 dew-soaked, smeared with yellow mud, and hold- 

 ing, as if it were a baby or a bomb, a little tin 

 pail of sand. 



" ' Crazy,' the fireman muttered, looking to the 

 engineer for his cue. 



" I had been crazy, perhaps, but I was not crazy 

 now. 



" 'Throw her wide open/ I commanded. 'Wide 

 open ! These are fresh turtle eggs for Professor 

 Agassiz of Cambridge. He must have them be- 

 fore breakfast/ 



"Then they knew I was crazy, and evidently 

 thinking it best to humor me, threw the throttle 

 wide open, and away we went. 



"I kissed my hand to the horse, grazing un- 

 concernedly in the open field, and gave a smile 

 to my crew. That was all I could give them, and 

 hold myself and the eggs together. But the smile 

 was enough. And they smiled through their smut 



