"Our friend spoke incautiously," I said. "I make no doubt that Professor
Owlsdarck will tell us that the preponderant evidence is in favor of
Homer the individual, notwithstanding a few troublesome objections."

"He was buried," replied the Professor, "perhaps at Smyrna, perhaps at
Cos, perhaps at neither. It is not easy to decide what ancient city may
rightly claim his bones."

"He should have shown a sense of their value by writing some verses
about them," urged Dr. Dastick. "There was Shakspeare, whose genius
culminated in those important osteological observations inscribed upon
his tombstone!"

At this point the undergraduate murmured something about "Wolf's
Prolegomena," which was lost in a dull rumble of thunder,--as if some
giant outside the house had taken up the title and was gruffly repeating
it.

And now the storm was coming.

The sky darkened rapidly.

The atmosphere lay thick and yellow.

Where was the procession? Would it not be necessary to omit the
triumphal progress through the town, and come to the hill at once?

Windy whiffs--fledgling stormlets--practised in the branches of the
Twynintuft oak. The great tree lunged and croaked at them. Suddenly the