It was all rather confusing for Timkin after that. The professor bawled at the top of his voice and more men came rushing out. They all fell to talking as if the greatest event in the history of the universe had taken place. Timkin hovered on the outskirts of the group, forgotten for the time being.
But then all the men turned to him. They looked at him as if he were some king or some awesome potentate from another star.
"And there, gentlemen!" said Professor Blick, waving at him, "is the man who brought the stone back!"
Timkin was in an agony of embarrassment as one by one the archeologists came up and shook his hand silently with reverent respect in their eyes.
"Professor," pleaded Timkin when this ordeal was over. "I—I want to get away. Just pay me for the stone, and let me go. If it's so important to you, maybe you could up the price a little, eh? Maybe—uh—a hundred dollars?"
Timkin was amazed at his own audacity.
The professor looked at him queerly, almost pityingly, and said slowly, "One hundred dollars? Timkin, you don't realize the value of this stone. The museum will make you out a check for one hundred thousand SS-dollars!"
Timkin stood stunned, unbelieving.
The professor smiled.