"They say a band of them are in the woods around here," answered Tom. "If you go out you want to be careful or they may scalp you."
"Cracious, Rofer, ton't say dot!" cried Mueller in alarm. "Vot is dem Indians doing here annavay?"
"They came in East to hunt up some buffalo that got away. They had something like half a million in a corral, and about two thousand got away from them."
This preposterous announcement was taken by Hans Mueller in all seriousness, and he asked Tom all sorts of ridiculous questions about the savage red men, whom he supposed as wild and wily as those of generations ago.
"No, I ton't vonts to meet any of dem," he said at last. "Da vos von pad lot alretty!"
"That's right, Hans, you give them a wide berth," said Tom, and walked away.
Later on Tom persuaded Dick to ask Hans if he would not walk down to Cedarville for him, to buy him a baseball. Eager to be accommodating, the German youth received the necessary permission to leave the academy acres and hurried off at the full speed of his sturdy legs.
"Now for some fun!" cried Tom, and ran off for the Indian suit and the face paints. These he took down to the bam and set to work to transform himself into a wild-looking red man.
"You're a lively one!" grinned Peleg Snuggers, who stood watching him. "We never had such a lad as you before Master Thomas."
"Thanks, Peleg, and perhaps you'll never have one like me again—and then you'll be dreadfully sorry."