Agatized Rainbows by Harold J. Brodrick

As the young lady drove off with a gay wave of her hand and “I think you’re mean” tossed over her shoulder, the ranger turned to us with a rueful smile. “Happens every day,” he said. “You can’t blame people for wanting to take home a souvenir of the Petrified Forest, and the stuff is so pretty that kids, especially, just can’t help but want to pack it off. And, with so much of it here, it’s hard for them to understand that it would soon be gone, particularly along the roads and trails, if everyone carried off a handful or two.” -an excerpt