"What sort of a thing?" asked Jack.
"Oh, nothing that looked very valuable. Jes' a little lead roll with a bottle full of what looked like black sand in it."
"Got it right here," said Jack, producing the bottle which the professor had given back to him.
"Glory be!" exclaimed Zeb Cummings, as he took the lead-wrapped vial as though it was something precious. "I was afeard that if anyone found it they might hev thrown it away, bein' as it don't look as if it amounted ter anything much."
"Is it valuable?" asked Jack, who could not restrain his curiosity.
"That's jes' what I don't rightly know," rejoined Zeb. "I reckon I'd better tell yer how I come ter git it an' then you kin judge fer yourselves."
"We'd like to hear," said Jack, who had felt all along that there was some mystery about the yellow-bearded giant.
"All right! Sit down and I'll tell yer ther yarn. But say, who is yer friend? No offense meant, ye understand."
"This is Professor Jerushah Jenks," said Jack.
"What, the guy that knows all about rocks and such like?" burst out the miner.