The Rover Boys Down East; or, The Struggle for the Stanhope Fortune

  CHAPTER XIV THE HAPPENINGS OF A NIGHT

  "What's the matter?"

  It was Sam who asked the question. Dick's question had aroused him.

  "That is what I want to know."

  "What woke you up?"

  "I felt something on my ankle--and then I heard several groans."

  "Vos somepody call me?" asked Hans, sleepily. "It can't pe morning yet,it's too dark."

  "We didn't call you, Hans."

  "Hello, what is it?" And now Fred roused up. "What is going on?"

  "We don't know," answered Sam, who had been sleeping behind him. "We aretrying to find out."

  Dick had gone to a post of the tent. Here a box of matches had beenplaced in a holder and he took one out, struck it, and held it up.

  "Why, Tom is gone!" he cried, seeing that the place his brother hadoccupied was vacant.

  "So he is!" murmured Sam. He raised his voice: "Tom! Tom! where are you?"

  There was no reply to this call, and all in the tent gazed at each otherquestioningly. Then the match went out, leaving them in darkness asbefore.

  "I don't like this," muttered Dick, and he made his way outside, followedby the others. Fred had loaded a shotgun and he caught up the piece. Hanswalked to the smouldering fire and threw on some dry brushwood which sooncaused a glare.

  All looked around the tent, but failed to catch sight of Tom. Then theyhurried to the edge of the lake, but nobody was there.

  "Tom! I say Tom!" yelled Sam. "Where are you?"

  All listened, but no reply came back. But they heard a curious noise at adistance up the lake shore.

  "Maybe he is in trouble!" cried Dick. "Spread out and look for him!"

  One of the boys ran up the shore and one down, and Fred and Hans walkedtowards the woods, the former carrying the shotgun.

  "Do you dink a--a bear cotched him?" asked the German youth, in a tragicwhisper.

  "I don't know what to think," answered Fred.

  Dick had gone up the shore, where the rocks were rather rough. As he cameout on the point he heard a peculiar noise and then a yell.

  "A home run! A home run!" reached his ears. "Everybody in the game!" Andthen, to his utter amazement, Tom appeared, running in a queer fashion.He was headed directly for the lake.

  "He's asleep! He's got a nightmare!" thought Dick, and as Tom attemptedto pass him he caught his brother by the arm.

  "Let go--I want to reach home plate!" growled the sleepwalker, and triedto break away.

  "Tom! Tom! wake up!" cried Dick, and retaining a firm grip on hisbrother's arm he shook him vigorously.

  "Oh!" groaned Tom at last. "I--what--stop shaking me!" he added, inconfusion.

  "Wake up, Tom! Wake up!"

  "I--er--I am awake! What are you shaking me for?" demanded the fun-lovingRover. He could see no fun in the present proceedings.

  "Tom, you've been walking in your sleep," said Dick. He raised his voice."This way, fellows; I've found him!"

  "Where is he?" and Sam came running, followed by Fred and Hans.

  "Have I--er--really been walking in my sleep?" asked Tom, sheepishly.

  "Doesn't this look like it?"

  "Why, where am I?"

  "Up the lake shore. We missed you and hurried out to find you. You werejust going to run into the lake when I grabbed you."

  "Was he really walking in his sleep?" asked Sam.

  "Yes, unless he was shamming," answered his elder brother.

  "I wasn't shamming," stammered poor Tom. "I--er--I was dreaming about aball game, and I was--er--trying to make a home run! Say, this is punky,isn't it?" he added, staring at the crowd, blankly.

  "It's a good thing Dick came up in time," said Sam. "Supposing you hadrun into the lake."

  "Oh, I guess the bath would have woke him up," said Dick. "But I ammighty glad I stopped him," he added.

  "You're not more glad than I am," said Tom. "I guess I ate too muchsupper. I couldn't sleep at all at first."

  "I guess you had better chain yourself fast in the tent after this,"remarked Fred. "Dick, it was lucky you woke up."

  "Something pressed me on the ankle. It's a little sore yet. I guess Tomstepped on it when he left the tent--but I didn't wake up fast enough tocatch him then."

  All walked back to the tent and sat down around the campfire to talk thematter over. But nothing new was learned and presently they retiredagain; and this time all slept soundly until morning.

  "First in the lake for a morning plunge!" shouted Sam, as he rushed out."Come on, everybody, it will wake you up!"

  "I'm with you, Sam!" answered Fred, and side by side the pair ran down tothe water and plunged in.

  "Phew! as cold as Greenland!" spluttered Fred, as he came up.

  "It's only the first plunge," answered the youngest Rover. "You'll soonget used to it."

  The others followed, Hans being the last to go in. The German youth wason the point of backing out, as the water looked so cold, when Sam cameup behind him and sent him in with a rush.

  "Wow! wow!" spluttered Hans. "Say, maype dot ain't cold, py chiminy! Ivos dink I fell into an ice-house alretty!"

  "Swim around and you'll soon get warm," was Dick's advice.

  The boys remained in the water less than ten minutes and then lost notime in dressing. Then came a hot breakfast, to which all paid everyattention.

  It had been decided that they should spend the day in fishing and inresting up, so they took it easy. Some went out in the boat and took ashort sail, for a fair breeze was blowing.

  "This puts me in mind of the times we used to camp out with the PutnamHall cadets," remarked Tom. "Only there used to be more of a crowd."

  For dinner they had more fish, and also some beans which had been broughtalong. They also made a pot of chocolate--something that suited Hansespecially--and the cookies were not forgotten.

  Two days passed, and the boys enjoyed every minute of the time. They tooka tramp through the woods back of the camp and found a blackberry patchwhere the luscious fruit was growing in profusion.

  "We'll take all we can carry back to camp with us!" cried Sam, and thiswas done, and then the youngest Rover took it upon his shoulders to makea huckleberry roly-poly pudding, "just like Aunt Martha's." Perhaps thepudding was not as good as those turned out by Mrs. Rover, but it wasgood enough, and the boys ate it to the last scrap. Then Fred tried hishand one morning at flapjacks and these they also ate with a relish.

  "I dink I makes you some Cherman coffee cake alretty," said Hans, on theday following, and in the afternoon he set to work. Soon he had severalkettles, pans and pails filled with flour and water and other things. Hishands were full of a pasty mess, and he had some of the stuff on hisnose.

  "How are you getting on?" asked Dick, when he saw the German youth stopand stare around in perplexity.

  "I dink I need anudder dish," said Hans, slowly.

  "Great Scott, Hans! You now have about all in the camp."

  "Is dot so! Vell, I must but dis stuff someveres, ain't it?" And Hansproceeded to dump the mass in one bowl with that in another. The otherlads watched him work with keen interest.

  "Want more sugar, Hans?" asked Sam.

  "How about salt?" questioned Fred.

  "Maybe you want a little more flour?" came from Dick.

  "Want to flavor it with peppermint?" asked Tom. "I saw a lot of the stuffgrowing back of the spring."

  "You chust leave me alone!" cried Hans. "Ton't you podder me, oder Imakes some mistake."

  "I guess he has made several mistakes already," whispered Dick to Fred,as they turned away.

  "Shouldn't wonder. But wait and see what he turns out."

  They all waited and watched Hans from a distance. The poor German youthworked hard for two hours, baking his stuff over the roaring fire. Hisface was flushed and he looked far from happy. At last he declared thathis coffee cake must be done.

  "It certainly looks like coffee," said Tom, as he gazed at the m
ass,which was shaped like a flower pot and was the color of roasted coffeebeans.

  "All right, Hans, cut it up and let us try it!" cried Fred, cheerfully.

  "Dick, you cut him up," answered Hans, rather faintly.

  Dick took the carving knife and set to work. The knife went into the"cake" with ease, but there it stuck.

  "What's the matter, Dick?" asked Sam.

  "I don't know--the knife is stuck."

  "Better let me cut it."

  "Go ahead and try your luck, Sam."

  The youngest Rover came around and took hold of the knife. He tried todraw the blade free but merely succeeded in raising the "cake" into theair.

  "Hello, it sticketh closer than a brother!" exclaimed Tom. "Hans, did youput a porous plaster in that cake?"

  "Not much I tidn't!" snapped the German lad. "Here, you gif me dot cake!I cut him ub for you, so quick like neffer vas!"

  Very valiantly Hans took the "cake" and the knife and set to work. He hadno more success than had Dick and Sam. Finally, in a rage, he liftedknife and "cake" on high and brought them down on a stone with a bang.The "cake" bounced back like a rubber ball and all but struck him in theface.

  "Hello, Hans has been manufacturing a football!" cried Tom.

  "Vot's der madder mit dot ennahow!" roared the German youth. "I make himchust like mine mudder make him in der old country."

  "Hans, did you make the coffee cake with glue?" asked Dick.

  "I ton't know how I make him!" groaned poor Hans. "I got me all mixed up,mit eferybody around me! Say, can't you vos got dot knife owid somehow?"he questioned anxiously.

  "I'll try a new way," said Dick, and placed the "cake" under his feet.Then he drew on the knife, and it came up between his feet with a suckingsound.

  "I guess you can sell that coffee cake for rubber," said Sam.

  "Don't you want a slice, Sam?" asked Tom.

  "Not today, thank you."

  "I dink I drow him into der vater!" cried Hans, and picked up theglue-like mass. Then he ran down to the lake front and balanced it on oneof his hands. He gave a throw, but the "cake" did not land in the wateras he had intended. Instead it remained stuck to his fingers.

  "Can't get rid of it so easily!" cried Dick. "Be careful, Hans, or thatcake will be the death of you!"

  "Du meine zeit!" groaned the German youth, and then he pulled at the massuntil he had it free from his fingers. Then he gave it a kick with hisfoot, and it went into the lake with a splash.

  And that was the first and last time Hans tried to make German coffeecake.