WAKING UP HANS.
A column of blue smoke was rising above the trees on Sandy Point as the
canoe containing Merriwell and Hodge drew up to the wide beach, on which
lay three more inverted canoes.
Just as the canoe touched the sand there was a whoop from the woods, and
Hans Dunnerwust, stripped of the last rag of clothing, came bursting
into view, made a wild run for the water, as if he were to plunge in
headlong, stopped short when his toes were wet, and backed off, lifting
his feet into the air and shaking them.
“Shimminy Gristmas!” he gurgled. “Dot peen a narrow escapes. Dot vawter
peen too vet vor you to took a path indo, ain’d id? Vot peen der use to
took a path, anyvay? Id gits a veller all ofer vet, und id vos drouple
to dry yourseluf. Yaw. I dook a path ven I vos ad Vardale, for der
horneds shased me der prook indo. Dot peen goot enough to last you till
next summer. Oxcuse me.”
And then, with great gravity, not even looking at Frank and Bart, he
turned about, walked up the beach and disappeared into the bushes.
“Well,” laughed Merry, “Hans certainly came very near taking a voluntary
bath that time. He stopped just in time.”
“Browning has been guying him again,” said Bart. “I heard him ask Hans
yesterday if this was not his year to take a bath.”
Frank cut some forked branches from the bushes near, and soon the white
perch were strung upon them. The large fish were arranged on the outside
of the strings, so they made a handsome showing. Taking care of the
canoe and dipping the fish in the water, so they again glistened like
silver, the boys started toward the cottage, which they were occupying
on the point.
There was a path to the cottage, and this they followed. As they
approached, the door of the cottage was seen standing wide open, and
Bruce Browning was heard laughing heartily within. Diamond was carrying
in an armful of wood.
“Ha! ha! ha!” roared Bruce. “You are in danger, Hans, for you say you
got your toes wet. You’ll be ill, sure. Just think what a horrible thing
it is to put wet water right onto a person’s skin.”
“Vot’s der madder mit you!” squawked the voice of Hans. “You und Shack
peen oud und done dot a liddle vile ago, don’d id? You kept bokin’ vun
ad me till I got me my glothing oudt und vent oudt to took a path, but I
vound der vawter too vet this mornings.”
“Oh, yes; the water is wet. I never saw a Dutchman who wasn’t afraid of
real wet water. They don’t even want to drink it.”
“Vale, dot vasn’t no skin off you somevere, vos id? Vot peen der
madder?”
Then Frank and Bart mounted the steps and walked into the cottage,
carrying the handsome fish they had caught.
There were cries of astonishment and surprise from the three lads.
“Ye gods!” burst from Browning. “What have you been doing, fellows?”
“Catching fish,” laughed Frank.
“Veesh?” squawked Hans, who was putting on his shirt. “Vale, I should
said so! Vere vos dose veesh caught you?”
“By Jove!” exclaimed Diamond, his eyes shining. “Those are beauties! I
didn’t suppose there were such fish in this lake.”
“Nor I,” groaned Browning. “If I had, I’d turned out when Merriwell
called me this morning. What sport you must have had!”
“We caught them,” said Merry; “now, if you want some for breakfast,
clean them and cook them.”
“I don’t know much about cleaning fish,” said the big Yale man. “I’d
rather catch them.”
“So had I,” nodded Diamond; “but I didn’t catch them, so I am willing to
clean my share.”
“Und I vill cook them,” said Hans. “I pet more as eight or nine uf dose
veesh can ead me this morning. I vos awful hongry since I took dot
path.”
Some of the fish were taken from the string and laid out to be admired.
“There is a fellow that will weigh more than two pounds,” said Jack,
pointing out a handsome perch.
“And here is one larger than that,” said Merry.
“It’s simply wonderful!” grunted Bruce. “Look at the difference between
that big fellow and this one.”
He picked up one of the smallest fish.
Hans could not keep his eyes off the perch, although he was hastening to
dress. He crowded in with the others as he drew on his trousers and drew
his suspenders up over his shoulders.
“Oh! I do lofe peautiful veesh,” he gurgled. “They vos goot food to ead
your prain vor. I alvays ead veesh ven I can got them.”
“That explains why you have such a remarkable brain,” observed Browning,
as he dropped the small perch down the Dutch lad’s back, thrusting it
inside the collar of his shirt, which was not buttoned.
As the cold, clammy fish slipped down his back, Hans gave a wild howl
and leaped into the air, giving a twist of his body and making a frantic
effort to reach over his shoulder and catch hold of the perch.
“Wow!” he whooped. “Vot id vos, aind id? Hellup. Vos I struck lightnin’s
py? Ye-e-e-ow! Got dot out uf my pack off! Kvick! Shimminy Gristmas! I
pet zwei tollars dot vos a snake grawlin’ your pack down! Take it avay!”
He nearly turned himself wrongside out in his convulsive efforts. The
fish slipped still farther down his back and finally got into the left
leg of his trousers.
“Ye-e-e-eh!” squealed the fat Dutch lad, dancing around the room on his
right foot and kicking out with the other. “Dot snake peen comin’ down
your drowsers legs! Got a club und kill me kvick! Don’d let me got
avay!”
The boys had seen Browning’s act, and they were convulsed with laughter
at the antics of the frightened Dutch lad.
“Keep still, Hans,” said Frank. “If it is a snake, you will make him
bite you all the quicker by hopping around that way.”
“You can’t kept still!” shouted Hans. “Dot snake is grawling der leg uf
my drowsers town alretty! I vos so coldt efry dime I touch myseluf to
him dot it gives you der shifers! Oh? Wow! Ye-ow!”
Then Hans gave a great wiggle and kick, and out dropped the little fish
onto the floor. The Dutch lad gasped in astonishment and stared at the
fish.
“Vos dot der snake?” he muttered, huskily, his face very pale, despite
his exertions. “Vale, dot peen der vunniest snake you efer seen!”
“It must be a water snake,” said Merriwell, laughing.
“Vot you vant to knew is how dot veesh got down der pack uf my neck. I
don’t seen some vings on heem.”
“He was trying to hide, so you wouldn’t cook him,” said Browning.
“That’s all, Hans. Don’t blame the poor fish.”
“Vale, he don’d blay dot me onto again. He near scat uf me der life out.
Yaw!”
Diamond took some of the finest perch outside, and, finding a board,
carried them down to the water, where he cleaned them. In a short time
they were frying in the pan, giving out a delicious odor.
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