“Yeou’ve got a purty smart boy, mister,” growled Crane. “Anyhaow, I s’pose he thinks he’s smart.”
“Vale, maype,” beamed the Dutch farmer, “he iss not a fool so pig as somepody took him to be. Sometimes he peen carelessness undt forgetful. I peliefe vhen he vas here der last times a tin pail forgot him, mit a cover undt a strap to holdt on dot cover vhen dere vas in der pail somethings dot Carl didt not vant to out come. Uf you didt not objections, I vill avay took dot pail, pecause maype Carl vould like to use him again. Yah.”
And now Grant laughed aloud. “There’s the pail and strap yonder on the ground, Mr. Duckelstein,” he said. “We sure don’t want any property that doesn’t belong to us.”
“That’s right,” said Crane. “Take yeour dratted old pail.”
“Maype you didt not a choke enchoy vhen it vas yourself on,” said Duckelstein, in a manner of mild reproof. “Dot is der vay uf some peoples. It is crate fun vhen der choke vas somepody else on, but vhen it home comes dot makes a tifference. Over think dot a little, my poy. Uf you couldt not a choke stood yourself on, don’t play him somepody else on, pecause you couldt not tell vhen dot other feller vill pack get at you a choke vot iss petter as der vun you didt up think yourself.”
Silenced, Crane retreated to think it over. He was still thinking some time after Mr. Duckelstein had departed. Finally he looked up, a slow grin creeping over his face.
“I guess that old Dutchman is abaout right,” he nodded; “a feller that can’t take a joke hadn’t better be playin’ ’em on other folks. Furthermore, yeou can’t never be sure that the dumb duffer yeou’re havin’ fun with ain’t got a knockout come-back hid up his sleeve. Guess I’ll forgit it and try to show that I ain’t a squealer. Maybe I won’t hug that Dutch boy when I see him, but, anyhaow, I’ll agree not to hand him a wallopin’.”
CHAPTER XXIV.
STRANGE BEHAVIOR OF SLEUTH.
Before long Piper grew restless, and his uneasiness was noticed by the others.