On reaching the hotel, they went directly to the room occupied by Hans. The doctor, although he had visited the Dutch boy once before that day, was present.
He was a young man, lately settled in Brownville, and he was letting slip no opportunity to get as many dollars as possible out of strangers whom he never expected to see after they left the place.
“You will be all right to-morrow, Mr. Dunnerwust,” he was saying. “My medicine is bringing you round.”
“Vale,” grunted Hans, “I peen dot much a hurry in to got vell, toctor, dot I vould took your medicines if I knewed it vould kill me.”
At this the doctor laughed heartily, and Frank, coming in, paid him for his call. The doctor was something of a sportsman, and he expressed great admiration for the rifle, which Merry stood in a corner of the room.
“I think it is the handsomest weapon I ever saw,” he said.
“Yaw,” said Hans, “id peen der handsomest vepons I nefer sawed, und I never sawed dot. Shust holdt it ub so id can seen me, Vrankie.”
So Merriwell held the rifle up for the Dutch boy’s inspection, telling him how he came to get it and what he intended to do with it.
“That is very generous of you,” said the physician. “Caribou is a good guide. I was up in the woods last fall, and he was one of the guides for our party. He went out with me one day, and got me two fine deer that I should not have seen at all. Both times he gave me the chance to shoot, and I was fortunate enough to get my game. He can do some good work with that old large bore rifle of his, but he will be delighted to get a new one like this.”