Middleton about you both.”

We watches him pilgrim down the trail, exuding odors of which there is no imitation.

“Magpie,” says the judge, “have you any idea what he wanted?”

“Not in my language, judge. I’m going to write to Professor Middleton and ask him what it is. I reckon Ajax came to the wrong place.”

“Let me know, Magpie,” squeaks Scenery. “I’d admire to hear what it was.”

We didn’t hear no more about Ajax, and about three weeks later we’re down at Piperock and got a letter from Middleton. We got Scenery, and the three of us went up to Judge Steele’s office.

Magpie opens the letter and reads it aloud to us:

CONTENTS

Dear Magpie and Ike:

Professor Green returned. Tell me about the thing he calls a hipwiggler. He dropped some information to Pettingill regarding it, but refuses even to nod to me. In fact he is very reticent over the whole matter.

He started to tell Pettingill about the “loofmad.” Pettingill wrote it out and happened to spell it backward. Now Green won’t speak to Pettingill. Please tell us why a vigilance committee in Silver Bend made him burn his clothes, which by the way contained his money. We are very anxious to hear all about it.

You ask the meaning of Green’s statement—to study the effects of astragalas splendens on the genus Ovius.

Magpie’s lips move slow-like over it, and then he hands the letter to us. The three of us bends over it and reads where he left off:

CONTENTS

He meant that he wished to study the effects of loco-weed on sheep.

The four of us leans back against the wall and look at each other.

“Magpie,” says the judge, clearing his throat and brushing off his vest, “Magpie, what do you think of too much education?”

“On a par with astragalas splendens, judge.”

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