“Maybe even if one grew it would be dead by now,” Grove said.
“Even still we might find it,” Harry said.
“Would it stand up if it got dead?” Skinny wanted to know.
“If there’s one here it won’t be dead,” Harry said; “he’s a pretty old customer, that tree; old ‘Rough and Ready.’ Only it’s like hunting for a needle in a haystack.”
Grove said, “I wish we could reduce the area of search.” Isn’t that a peach of a sentence? Believe me, he’s some highbrow, Grove is.
All of a sudden, Pee-wee stopped short. Gee whiz, I thought he had found the treasure.
“Break it to us gently,” I said.
“I know how to reduce the area of search!” he shouted.
“All right, go ahead and reduce it,” Harry told him.
“Listen—all listen!” the kid said. “I have a—you know—one of those things——”