me a cent, if yuh want to know it."

The four boys looked at each other in increased wonderment. What manner
of chap was this same Obed, to be able to wrest a living from a
bounteous Nature in the clever way he did? Steve in particular was loud
in his praise.

"Why, Obed, old fellow," he burst out with, "you're just the same kind
of an enterprising chap Max here has always been. Why, it was his grand
idea about there being mussels aplenty in the Big Sunflower down our way
that started us into making a try for fresh-water pearls in the river.
We found 'em, too, some thousands of dollars' worth, of them; and when
the news leaked out, whee! the farmers, all around, had a tough time
getting their harvests home, because every hand was treading for mussels
in the creeks and small rivers for thirty miles around Carson. Why, I
bet you it'd be as hard to find a fresh-water clam down our way now as a
needle in a haystack; they're all cleaned out. You see, Max here had
read about pearls being found out in Indiana and other places, and that
gave him the big idea; just like you got set on the fur farm business by
reading about it."

They duly inspected the marsh where Obed hunted his big greenback frogs
when he thought the crop warranted a thinning out.

"They're always in demand down New York ways, whar they fetch a dollar a
pound for the saddles," he explained; "and let me tell yuh it doesn't
take a great many o' them to weigh that much. I've got some granddaddy
bouncers here that'd make you stare to see 'em; but they don't show up
much at this time o' day."

"And how do you get them by the wholesale when you want to market any?"
asked Steve. "I've shot many a one with a small Flobert rifle; or else
caught them with a piece of red flannel fixed on a small hook, attached
by a short cord to a stout pole."

"Well, men in the regular frog-raising business couldn't go about it as
slow as that," said the other, "though I have shot a few o' the big uns
that way, 'cause they was too tricky to be grabbed with my hand net. If
you stay with me a spell we'll get more'n one mess o' frog legs, if yuh
likes them."

Bandy-legs was seen to work his lips as though his month fairly watered
at the pleasing prospect; for those who are fond of the dish say that
frogs' legs are more delicate than the best spring chicken, with just a
little taste of fish about them that rather adds to the piquancy.

Having by this time exhausted about all the s