“Why, I didn’t know you talked Indian,” cried Ned.
“I always suspected the 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.
63“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.”