"Well, Ponto, I suppose you can't help it. Do you happen to know where
there are any horned toads?"

"Horned toads! Good lan', Massa Seabury! No sah! I ain't got none!"

"I didn't suppose you had. Do you know whether there are any around
here?"

"Well, I doan know ef dey has horns or not, but de oder day, when I
were comin' home from goin' t' ole Mexican Pete's shanty after some
red peppers, I seen some horrible kind of thing hoppin' along ober de
sand. I-- I didn't stop t' look an' see ef he had horns, but I s'pects
he had, cause he were kind of diggin' in de sand."

"That's the toad all right!" exclaimed the professor, joyfully. "Where
is the place? Take me out there right away, Ponto."

"Take you out dere, Perfesser?"

"Yes, right away."

"I-- I s'pects I'd better go back an' 'tend t' mah weedin'!" exclaimed
Ponto, looking as pale as a colored man can. look. "Weeds grow
powerful fast in dis climate. Dey'll choke de flowers in about an
hour. I'se got t' 'tend t' 'em immejeet, sah. I ain't got no time t'
go huntin' horned toads. I hopes you'll 'scuse me, sah," and with that
Ponto was gone, walking faster than he had at any time since the
travelers arrived.

"He's afraid," said Rose, with a laugh. "I'm not. Come on, Professor,