CHAPTER XXIWAKING 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.