CHAPTER V
ON THE WAY TO PUTNAM HALL
The idea of going back to dear old Putnam Hall, with all of its pleasant memories, filled Tom with good humor, and he was fairly bubbling over on the train which carried the boys to Ithaca, where they were to take a steamer up Cayuga Lake to Cedarville, the nearest village to the academy.
"Makes me feel as I did the first time we went to the Hall," he declared. "Don't you remember that trip, and the fun we had with Peleg Snuggers, the wagon man?" and then he burst out singing:
"Putnam Hall's the place for me!
Tra-la-lee! Tra-la-lee!
Putnam Hall's the place for me!
The best old school I know!"
"You'll have the conductor putting you off, the next thing you know," remarked Sam.
"Putting me off? Never!" cried Tom. "He knows that academy boys own privileges that other passengers do not possess. He can't cork me up. I defy him!"
"Wonder if we'll meet any of the other fellows," mused Dick.
He had hardly spoken when the train stopped at a junction, and two other lads got aboard and came down the aisle. One was tall and handsome, and the other stout and with a round, chubby face beaming with good humor.
"Larry Colby!" cried Dick, leaping up and grasping the tall boy's hand. "I'm awfully glad to meet you. Returning to the Hall, of course?"
"Yes," was the answer from the Rover boys' old chum. "Isn't it odd that I should be thinking of you just as we meet?" and he shook hands.
"Hullo, if it ton't peen dem Rofer brudders alretty," cried the round-faced lad, with a twinkle in his eyes. "I dink me you vos left der Hall for goot, yah!"
"Hans Mueller!" came from Sam. "Then you are going back, too? I thought you had scarlet fever?"
"Not much I ain't," said the German youth. "I vos eat too much of dem puckveat cakes alretty, und dot makes mine face preak owid, put I ain't got no scarlet fefers, nein! How you vos alretty annahow?" And he shook hands as Larry had done.
"I can hardly believe your story about being cast away on an island in the Pacific," said Larry. "Your letter read like a fairy tale. If you tell the fellows they'll think you are drawing the long bow."
"Yes, Larry vos told me somedings apoud dot," broke in Hans. "You vos regular Robinson Roosters," he said.
"Great Scott! Robinson Roosters!" yelled Tom, bursting out into a fit of laughter. "Boys, we are discovered at last."
"Well, if you are, you needn't crow over it," came from Larry.
"Roosters and crowing! Oh, Larry, I didn't think you'd begin to pun so early," put in Sam.
"He just hatched it out," said Tom.
"I suppose you think that sounds chic," joined in Dick. And then there was a laugh in which all but Hans Mueller joined. The German youth looked blankly from one to another of his companions.
"Vos dot Robinson Rooster a choke?" he demanded. "Of it vos let me in by it kvick."
"Oh, you couldn't climb in on a gangway and a step-ladder combined," answered Tom.
"Put vos you Robinson Roosters or vos you not Robinson Roosters?"
"Oh, we were Robinson Roosters right enough," answered Tom, when he could control his laughter.
"Den vot you vos giggling apout, hey?"
"Nothing, only it was so funny to be a Robinson Rooster and live on a big island with nobody but lions, buffaloes, snakes, and 'cannonballs,'" added the fun-loving youth.
"Cannonballs?" queried Larry
"That's what Aleck Pop calls 'em, Larry. He said it was a wonder the 'cannonballs' hadn't eaten us up," and then came another laugh, during which Hans was as mute as ever.
"Vos dere lions, snakes, and buffaloes py dot island on?" went on the German youth.
"To be sure there were, Hans. And likewise elephants, panthers, cats, dogs, hippopotamuses, mice, elk, rats, and winged jibberjackers."
"Mine gracious, Tom! Und you vosn't eaten up alretty kvick!"
"None of the animals troubled us, but the three-horned jibberjacker. He came into our house one night, crawled upstairs, and began to swallow Sam alive."
"You ton't tole me!"
"Yes, I do tell you. He had Sam in his mouth, and had swallowed him as far as his waist, when Sam began to kick on the floor with his feet."
"I see, I see" Hans' eyes were as big as saucers.
"That woke Dick and me up, and we ran and got Sam by the legs, and pulled for all we were worth."
"You ton't tole me, Tom! Und vot did dot vot-you-call-him do den?"
"He planked his ten feet on the floor, and"
"His ten feet did you said, Tom?" interrupted Hans doubtfully.
"To be sure. Didn't you know that a real jibberjacker has ten feet?"
"Maype I did—I ton't exactly remember about him."
"I am surprised at your ignorance of natural history, Hans. Yes, the real jibberjacker has ten feet, although a branch of the family, known as the jibbertwister, has only eight feet."
"Well, go on. He planked his ten feets by der floor town"
"He held on and so did we, and it was a regular tug of war between us. Sam was swallowed as far as the waist, and couldn't do anything to help himself. You just ask Sam if that isn't so."
"When Tom tells the truth it's a fact every time, Hans," answered Sam, who felt as if he would choke from suppressed laughter.
"So the blamed old jibberjacker held on and held on," continued Tom. "Then we gave a tug and he gave a tug, and all of a sudden Sam came out. The shock was so great it threw Dick and me clear across the room, and through a doorway into the next room. But the poor jibberjacker fared still worse."
"How vos dot?"
He flew up against the outside wall, and his weight was so great he went right through the side of the building, and landed on some rocks below. All of his ten legs were broken, and of course he couldn't get away, so we went down, got a long cross-cut saw, and sawed off his head. Now, if you don't believe that story, you come to our house sometime and I'll show you the cross-cut saw."
Hans stared in breathless amazement. His solemn face was too much for the others, and a peal of laughter rang through the car. At this Hans grew suspicious, and at length a sickly grin overspread his features.
"I know you, Tom Rofer," he said. "Dot vos von of dem fish stories, ain't it alretty?"
"No, it's a jibberjacker story, Hans."
"It vos a jibjacker fish story den annahow. You can't fool me some more. I vos too schmart for dot alretty. Ven I go py der academy I git mine ear teeths cut, hey?"
"All right, Hans, if you have cut your ear-teeth we'll call it off," said Dick, and here the conversation took a more rational turn.
"So far as I know only a few of the fellows have left the Hall on account of the scarlet fever scare," said Larry. "And they were boys that nobody seemed to care much about."
"I was told that the fellows expected to elect an entirely new lot of officers," said Sam. "We have been away so much I've rather lost track of our military affairs."
"Captain Putnam said we would have to ballot for officers as soon as all the boys were back," said Larry. "Some of the old officers have graduated, you must remember."
"I've not forgotten that I was once second lieutenant of Company A," put in Dick. "Reckon I'll have to try my luck once more—if the boys want me to run."
"Well, I want you to run for one, Dick," said Larry. "Hans, you'll vote for Dick, won't you?"
"Yah, und I vonts him to vote for me, too," said the German youth.
"Why, Hans, do you want to be water-carrier this year?" asked Sam.
"Nein, I vonts to be high brivate py der rear rank alretty. Von of der fellows tote me dot would chust suit me."
"All right, Hans, we'll all elect you high private of the rear rank," answered Larry with a laugh.