But he recognized the voice that replied without hesitation:
“Yes, I made it my business to find out about the sauerkraut-eating Heiny,” was the rejoinder.
“Ah-ha! Now comes it oudt!” exclaimed young Dill to himself. “Dot is der feller vot dinks he get funny midt me and laughs midt der wrong side of his face yet.”
“Is he a friend of that High Towers bunch?”
The voice that was unfamiliar to the German youth put the question.
“Aber am I ein friendt or not?” muttered young Dill. “I vould like to know dot.”
“No, he’s no friend,” it was Hank speaking, “in fact, from what I hear, he got into a row of some sort up there to-day.”
“Aber dot’s right, budt idt vos in der lake vot I gedt,” said young Dill to himself.
“No. He’s just a butter-in of some sort. I hear they get a lot of cranks up there.”
“Oh, ho! So I’m a ker-ank, am I?” muttered the German boy, shaking his fist at the unconscious pair in the next room. “You vatch me! I bedt you my life some day I ker-ank you der wrong vay, mein freindt.”
“Well, crank or no crank, he certainly put it over on you before dinner to-day, Hank. I’d advise you to leave him alone in future.”
“So his name vos Hank,” murmured young Dill, as he listened. “All righd, Hank, you gedt fixed by a ker-ank--by chiminy, dot’s boetry de firstest vot I ever make!” exclaimed the lad, as he formed the involuntary rhyme.
“Oh, I’ll fix him, never fear,” rejoined Hank. “The tallow-headed buttinski! But first we’ve got other things to attend to. The Dutchman can wait.”
“You chust bedt he can vait, Mister Hank,” muttered Heiny, on his side of the partition, “vaiting is one of der best things he does, und ven he gedts idt goodt undt retty den he yump--by chiminy!--he yump!”
“That’s right, we had better discuss what we mean to do. If they make that trial trip to-morrow we shall have to act quickly,” said Miles in reply to Hank’s last remark.
“Well, I spent quite a bit of time snooping around up there. I found a fool of a colored man who told me a lot.”
“Dot vos der plack feller, I bedt you my life,” chuckled the German boy, with his ear to the partition. “Veil he _iss_ a chump und dot’s der first true word der feller in der next room has spoken.”
“Easy? I should say. I told him I was from Edison’s place and was just looking around. He didn’t loosen up much so I gave him a dollar and he told me all he knew. He’s a bigger chump than that Dutch kid.”