Saying this the doctor turned back towards the house, followed by the boys. They found the articles all neatly labelled, and their names written upon each label as discoverers and donors. All looked delighted except Bart. He read the label on the bone, and there was an expression on his face which did not escape the notice of the doctor. “What’s the matter, Bart?” he asked. “You don’t seem pleased.” “Why, sir,” said Bart, “I didn’t think that this bone belonged to--to _that_.” “Why, what did you think that it did belong to?” “Well, sir, I thought that it belonged to the owner of the house.” “The owner of the house!” said the doctor, with a laugh. “Well, not directly. It belonged to his horse, as I think, but Mr. Simmons thinks it was his cow. That is the only way in which it ever belonged to him.” Bart looked ineffably disgusted. “Then it’s no use putting an old cow bone in the Museum,” said he. “O, yes,” said the doctor. “It was found beside the plough, and perhaps belonged to the horse or ox that dragged it. From that point of view it is a very interesting relic.” Bart said no more, and soon the boys retired on their way to the Museum, bearing their treasures with them. “Boys,” said Bruce, “it will never do for us to carry these things up without making some demonstration or other. It isn’t every day that we are presenting things to the Museum that we’ve dug out of the ground.” “That’s a capital idea,” cried Bart, who by this time had recovered from the shock of his disappointment. “So I say,” said Arthur; “but what shall we do?” “O, let’s have a speech, and a poem, and a procession,” said Phil. “Yes,” said Tom, “Bruce can make the speech, and Bart can make the poem.” This was agreed upon, and it was decided that the ceremony should come off immediately before tea-time. They had an hour yet, and that gave them ample time. Soon the news spread abroad, and all the boys flocked to the spot. Bruce ascended the portico, and stood there with the French relics at his feet. Bruce had not had much time for preparation; but then he was very quick at impromptu speeches, and the occasion did not demand anything more than this. Bart stood near, scribbling something in his memorandum-book. After arranging the things in an effective row, and putting all the coins inside the iron pot, Bruce commenced. Holding up the iron pot, and rattling the coins, he began by giving a humorous description of their search after it. Without going very deeply into the real particulars of the case, he introduced into his burlesque narrative quite a number of the actual facts. After finishing this description, he showed the identical pot of money which they had exhumed, and it was passed round from hand to hand.