The professor and the two boys went closer to the monstrosity. Mr. Henderson passed his hand over it and then, bending closer, smelled of it. “That’s not a pumpkin!” he exclaimed. “What is it then?” asked Washington. “It’s a giant peach,” the inventor remarked. “Can’t you see the fuzz, and smell it? Of course it’s a peach.” “Well I’ll be horn-swoggled!” cried Washington, leaning against the big fruit, which easily supported him. “Hurrah!” cried Jack, drawing his knife from his pocket and opening the largest blade. “I always did like peaches. Now I can have all I want,” and he drove the steel into the object, cutting off a big slice which he began to eat. “It may be poisonous!” exclaimed Mark. “Too late now,” responded Jack, the juice running down from his mouth. “Taste’s good, anyhow.” They all watched Jack while he devoured his slice of fruit. Washington acted as if he expected his friend to topple over unconscious, but Jack showed no bad symptoms. “You’d better all have some,” the boy said. “It’s the best I ever tasted.” Encouraged by Jack’s example, Mark thought he, too, would have some of the fruit. He opened his knife and was about to take off some of the peach when suddenly the thing began to roll forward, almost upon him. “Hi! Stop your shoving!” he exclaimed. “Do you want to have the thing roll over me, Jack?” “I’m not shoving!” replied Jack. “Some one is!” Mark went on. He dodged around the far side of the immense fruit and what he saw made him cry out in astonishment. Two grasshoppers, each one standing about three feet high, were standing on their hind legs, and with their fore feet were pushing the peach along the ground. They had been attracted to the fruit by some juice which escaped from a bruise on that side, which was the ripest, and, being fond of sweets had, evidently decided to take their find to some safe place where they could eat it at their leisure. Or perhaps they wanted to provide for their families if grasshoppers have them. “Did you ever see such monsters?” asked Jack. “They’re as big as dogs!” At the sound of his voice the two grasshoppers, becoming alarmed, ceased their endeavors to roll the peach along, and, assuming a crouching attitude seemed to be waiting. “They certainly are remarkable specimens,” Mr. Henderson said. “If the other animals are in proportion, and if there are persons in this new world, we are likely to have a hard time of it.” This time the immense insects concluded the strangers were not to their liking. With a snapping of their big muscular legs and a whirr of their wings that was like the starting of an automobile, the grasshoppers rose into the air and sailed away over the heads of the adventurers. Their flight was more than an eighth of a mile in extent, and they came down in a patch of the very tall grass. “Let’s go after them!” exclaimed old Andy. “I was so excited I forgot to take a shot at them. Come on!”