Henry stood some of these bones on end, and they were much taller than he.
Others he could not lift.
"The mastodon, the mammoth and I know not what," said Mr.Pennypacker in a transport of delight.

"Henry, you and Paul are looking upon the remains of animals, millions of years old, killed perhaps in fights with others of their kind, over these very salt springs.

There may not be another such place as this in all the world." Mr.Pennypacker for the first day or two was absolutely of no help in making the salt, because he was far too much excited about the bones and the salt springs themselves.
"I can understand," said Henry, "why the animals should come here after the salt, since they crave salt just as we do, but it seems strange to me that salt water should be running out of the ground here, hundreds of miles from the sea." "It's the sea itself that's coming up right at our feet," replied the schoolmaster thoughtfully.

"Away back yonder, a hundred million years ago perhaps, so far that we can have no real conception of the time, the sea was over all this part of the world.

When it receded, or the ground upheaved, vast subterranean reservoirs of salt water were left, and now, when the rain sinks down into these full reservoirs a portion of the salt water is forced to the surface, which makes the salt springs that are scattered over this part of the country.