"None at all, Tommy, only we won't allow you to take credit for things that you don't do," scolded Enid playfully.
"That's because you are all hard-hearted girls," Tommy answered with a scowl.
"Now, let's see your treasures." Bet was already peering on the high shelf. "I want to see every one of them."
The girls looked eagerly about on the shelves that ran three deep about the room, and each shelf was full to overflowing with his strange collections. Enid smiled as she noticed several little pine cone figures that she had given him for his own. These he had treasured and they now held a conspicuous place in his assortment of knick-knacks.
There were stuffed birds, arrowheads, old bits of pottery, and many
Indian baskets.
"And look at that snake skin! Ugh, Tommy, how could you bear to touch the wriggling thing?" exclaimed Joy with a shudder of disgust.
"It had stopped wriggling when I touched it," returned Tommy. "Can't say as I like them squirmy, myself."
"And what is this, Tommy?" called Enid. "Girls do come and look at this ugly thing in the jar. What is it? It's like a big brown lizard."
"That's a baby Gila monster. Isn't it a beauty? If you'll look at it closely you'll see that it's not ugly at all. Look at the design of his back, like an Indian rug." Tommy took the jar in his hand caressingly.
But Enid shuddered and turned to something more interesting which Bet was already examining.