through a stretch of country where it seemed as if it was always
summer. Back home there had already been evidences of fall, before
they left, but here there seemed to be no hint of approaching winter.

"Oh, isn't this fine!" exclaimed Ned, breathing in the sweetly-scented
air, as he stuck his head from the car window. "It's like reading
about some fairy story!"

"It's better than reading it," said Jerry. "It's the real thing."

They arrived at San Felicity, shortly before noon. It was a very hot
day, though the morning had been cool, and the boys began to
appreciate the fact that they had come to a southern climate. There
seemed to be no one at the little railroad station, at which they were
the only passengers to leave the train. The train baggage man piled
their trunks and valises in a heap on the platform, the engine gave a
farewell toot, and the travelers were thus left alone, in what
appeared a deserted locality.

"There doesn't seem to be much doing," observed Jerry. "Let's see now,
Nellie wrote that we were to take a stage to get to their house, but I
don't see any stage. Wonder where the station agent is?"

"Hark!" said the professor, raising his hand for silence. "What noise
is that? It sounds as if it might be a horned toad grunting. They make
a noise just like that."

"I would say it sounded more like some one snoring," ventured Ned.

"It is!" exclaimed Bob. "Here's the station agent asleep in the ticket