he Professor was an Indian. Now I know it,"
chuckled Stacy.

"Young men, if you will listen I shall be glad to enlighten you as to
some of the marvels of the country we are now in. If my recollection
serves me right, the country has an area of about six hundred thousand
square miles."

Chunky uttered a long-drawn whistle of amazement.

"Some territory that, eh, fellows?" he said, nodding.

"If my recollection serves me right, Alaska is bigger than all the
Atlantic states combined from Maine to Louisiana."

"That's where they have the 'gators," said Chunky.

"And with half of Texas thrown in," continued the Professor. "It has a
coast line of about twenty-six thousand miles, a greater sea frontage
than all the shores of the United States combined."

"Why one would travel as far as if he were to go around the world in
going over all the coast line, then, wouldn't he, Professor?" wondered
Tad.

"Exactly. Furthermore, it extends so far towards Asia that it carries
the dominion of our great country as far west of San Francisco as New
York is east of it, making California really a central state."

"Oh, Professor. Will you please repeat that? I didn't get it," called
the fat boy.

"You must listen if you wish to hear what I am saying. Your mind
wanders."

"I hope it doesn't do much wandering here. I'll surely be a dead one if
it does," retorted Stacy, peering down the sheer walls that dropped into
the gloomy pass below him.

"To give you another illustration, were you to combine England, Ireland,
Scotland, France and Italy, you still would lack considerable of having
enough to make an Alaska. Then, added to this, are the great mountains,
thousands of feet high, and one great river--not to speak of the smaller
ones--that flows through more than two thousand miles of wonderful
country. I have given you a bird's-eye-view of the country, a small part
of which you have started to explore."

"Yes, a fellow needs a bird's-eye up here. He has to have or he's a
goner," declared Chunky.

"And by the way, Professor," said Tad. "Your pony is yawning with his
left hind leg."

"Haw, haw, haw! That's a good one," laughed the fat boy.

"What do you mean?" wondered the Professor.

"He is stretching himself. His left hind foot at this moment is
suspended over several hundred feet of space. But don't startle him for
goodness' sake," laughed Tad.

The Professor glanced back. Afterwards the boys declared he had gone
pale at