“I—I guess I do,” went on Bob, with a half-ashamed glance at his chums.
“Here, Bob! You come away from there!” ordered Ned in a loud voice. “Don’t go to bothering the young lady. You mustn’t mind him, miss,” went on the joking Ned. “He’s harmless. We’re taking him back to the asylum. He just got out to-day—escaped. He thinks he’s always hungry. Did he annoy you?” and with a half-fierce air Ned started for Bob.
“No—no, sir, he didn’t say anything out of the way,” replied the girl, with a startled air.
“Well, he doesn’t mean anything,” explained Ned without a smile. “He always imagines he’s hungry. That’s his peculiar form of insanity. You wouldn’t believe it, but he just ate three roast chickens, not half an hour ago, and my partner and I have had the hardest work to prevent him breaking into your lunch room. Come over here, I say, or we’ll put the strait-jacket on you!” ordered Ned to his fat chum.
For a moment Bob could only gasp, he was so surprised. Then he ripped out:
“Well of all the nerve! I’ll fix you for that! Don’t you believe him!” he went on. “I’m not crazy at all, I’m only hungry.”
“They all say that,” put in Jerry, carrying on the joke.
“Jerry Hopkins!” cried Bob. “I—I’ll——”
He did not say what he would do, for at that moment Professor Snodgrass, who had been unsuccessful in his search for insects, approached the lunch counter. The girl had started the coffee machine, and an aromatic odor filled the waiting room.
“Ah, that smells good!” exclaimed the professor. “I believe I will have a cup of coffee, and some sandwiches. Will you join me, boys, as long as we have to wait?”