“I had forgotten you had it,” confessed Frank. “It did come in handy, that is a fact.”
By the time Bunker knew what had happened behind him, they were a long distance from the shore, skimming swiftly away.
CHAPTER XXI
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.”