Martin Learns To Dig and Mr. Burton Tags Along

"A lawn gnome?" asked Marcus. "We're getting Xenon from a lawn gnome?"
"I don't understand it either," replied Norman as they made their way to his garden, "but I just happened to run into him this morning. He offered me Xenon."
"How odd." said Marcus.
As his house came into view, Norman thought about how strangee it was that he was taking a trip to his own garden to get fuel from a lawn gnome for a time machine so that he could go back into the past to save his alien-abducted elderly friend. Thinking about Herb made him wonder a bit. "Herb's been gone for quite awhile now. Are you sure we have time for all this?" he asked.
"Why not?" Marcus replied, "Once Dr. Pea finishes building the time machine, we'll have all the time in the world--Literally!"
"So you've returned!" shouted the bearded garden figure as he jumped out from behind Norman's tulips.
"Yes. Uh...turns out we actually need that Xenon, uh...Martin."
The lawn gnome looked at Norman and Marcus suspiciously. "Do you have my dirt clods?"
Norman immediately remembered Martin's proposed trade. "No," he said, suddenly having an idea, "but I can teach you how to find your own!" He ran inside his house and returned with a small pink and green plastic shovel that was exactly the right size for Martin. "Just dig anywhere, and you'll find some dirt clods."
"Really?"
"Really."
With that, Martin accepted the shovel and gave them a metal canister full of Xenon. Marcus and Norman quickly made their way back to Dr. Pea's laboratory.
"You know he's going to dig up your whole front yard, right?" said Marcus. Norman decided he'd worry about that later.

Back at the lab, Dr. Pea was just making the final adjustments on the time-machine. Norman and Marcus came in with the Xenon. "Ah! The fuel! Excellent! In that case, gentlemen, we can go whenever you're ready!"
"TIME TRAVELING!"
Marcus and Norman fell to the ground as Mr. Burton tackled them both. "I LOVE TIME TRAVELING! BETTER THAN CRUMBLY SHOESTRINGS, IT IS!"
Dr. Pea, who had just got the Xenon canister as it flew through the air, gave a scolding look at Mr. Burton. "How much do you know, Burt?"
"Well, pretty much everything, minus the nothing I forgot to hear. I've been hanging from your ceiling pretending I was a pterodactyl, and I literally over-heard all about Mr. Herb's adventure with aliens! I want to go!"
Dr. Pea was about to suggest otherwise, but Norman (who found Mr. Burton's odd company very amusing) said, "Sure you can, Mr. Burton!"
With that decided, the four hopped into the time machine.
"Everybody in?" asked Dr. Pea.
"Check!" replied Norman Bufort.
"Check!" replied Marcus.
"Cash!" replied Mr. Burton.
"Are you sure this thing is safe?" asked Marcus.
"Not at all!" said Dr. Pea. And with that, they blasted backwards in time to April 26, 1914.