Frank Merriwell's Champions Part 36

"Wal," said the "ghost," speaking aloud, to the astonishment of the boys behind the curtain, "I ruther guess ev'rything's all ready. Let her rip!"

Then the curtain behind which the jokers crouched was suddenly s.n.a.t.c.hed away.

At the same instant, Hans sat up in bed, and turned the stopc.o.c.k of the hose.

Swish-spat!

A powerful stream of chilling water shot through the air directly toward that alcove. If struck the astounded boys, drenching them in a moment and knocking some of them over. The others piled upon the fallen ones, and all shouted with astonishment and disgust.

Then Hans, grasping the hose, bounced to his feet, standing upright in the middle of the bed, and poured the stream of cold water down upon that struggling, squirming ma.s.s in the corner.

"Oh, say, vot a shoke dot vos!" cried the Dutch boy, swaying the nozzle of the hose to evenly distribute the water over all the boys. "Ain'd you hafin' fun mit us! I don'd belief you nefer seen der peat uf dese shoke before all your life in! You don'd vorget der fun vat you had mit us to-nighd a long dime in."

"Haw! haw! haw!" roared Ephraim. "Soak it to um, Hans! Ain't they havin'

a regular picnic with us! Ho! ho! ho! This is more fun than hoein'

'taters!"

"Stop it!" cried Rattleton, gasping for breath. "You blundering Dutchman turn that hose--Woogh-uh-oogh-uh-oogh!"

The stream from the hose had struck Harry full and fair in the mouth, and he was nearly drowned.

"Oi'll murther thot Dutch chaze!" shouted Mulloy. "Oi won't lave a whole bone in his body! Oi'll-- Wa-ow! Murther! Boo! Thot's cold! It's dead Oi am intoirely!"

"h.e.l.lo, Parney!" called Hans, mockingly; "how you don'd like dot ghost pusiness, hey? Don'd id peen vunny!"

"Thunder and guns!" roared Browning. "This will give me another Arkansaw chill! Somebody will get hurt when I find out who put up this job on me!"

Hodge and Diamond made a desperate attempt to get away, but Hans saw them, and gave them a straight shot that knocked them down again in the midst of the struggling, squirming, kicking and shouting lads.

"Great Caesar!" cried Kenneth St. Ives, as he untangled himself from the drenched and kicking ma.s.s. "The joke is on us!"

"It looks that way from the road," admitted Frank, who was laughing heartily as he crowded his body back into a corner to get away from the water. "That confounded Yankee was too sharp to be taken in, and he put up this job with Hans. Goodness! hear him laugh!"

Ephraim was haw-hawing in a manner that told how delighted he was, and the roly-poly Dutch boy was dancing up and down on the bed, as he continued to drench the shivering, scrambling, shouting lads in the alcove.

"Oh, don'd you think dese pen der most fun I efer had!" gurgled Hans.

"Dese peen der vay to got a shoke a ghost on. Yaw! Vot do I think uf dese ghost pusiness now, hey?"

"Haw! haw! haw!" roared Ephraim, holding onto his sides, and doubling up with laughter. "Gol darned ef this wouldn't make a kaow larf! Give it to um, Hans!"

"Oh, yaw, I peen goin' to cool them down. After 'dese don'd you pelief me ven dey toldt you I vos scared mit a ghost. h.e.l.lo, Raddleton! Oxcuse me uf you got der vay in. I didn'd seen you pime-py. You oxbect I vos havin' a goot time, hey?"

Harry had been untangling himself from the others, and now he tried to get up, but the stream of water struck him behind the ear, and keeled him over once more, plumping his head with great force fairly into Browning's stomach.

"Thunder and lightning!" roared the big fellow. "I'd rather be in a football rush! I'll give ten dollars to anybody who will pull me out of this and get me out of the room. My eyes are full of water, and I can't see."

"You don'd haf to took a shower path der morning in, Prowning," laughed Hans.

Then St. Ives and Merriwell got hold of each other, and made a break for the door, doing it so suddenly that they escaped before the Dutch boy could turn the hose on them. They remained outside, laughing and calling to the others, who came stumbling blindly out, one by one, dripping wet and hopping mad.

"The joke is on us, boys," laughed Frank, "and we may as well make the best of it. It's no use to kick."

CHAPTER XXIII-CHOICE OF PONIES

Fearing the boys would attempt to retaliate, Hans and Ephraim closed and barricaded the door, and the Dutch boy shouted that he would "soak"

anybody who tried to force an entrance.

Thoroughly disgusted with the turn affairs had taken, Merriwell and his friends sought towels and dry clothing, and decided to let Hans and Ephraim alone for the rest of the night.

In the morning every one about Springbrook Farm knew of the "ghost joke," and the boys were "jollied" unmercifully, Kenneth St. Ives being forced to endure it with the others.

The general uproar in the summerhouse had been heard by those in the mansion, and it had set the hounds to barking in the stable, but the shouts of laughter coming from the house told that it was some sort of frolic, so no one sought to investigate.

Ephraim and Hans came forth in the morning, arm in arm, although they made a most grotesque couple, the Dutch boy being short, round and fat, while the Yankee lad was tall, lank and angular.

The faces of this odd pair were grave and solemn, and their air of innocence was refreshing to behold.

"Good-mornin', fellers," nodded Ephraim. "I hope yeou all slept fust rate late night?"

"How you peen dese mornin', boys?" inquired Hans, with apparent concern.

"I hope you didn't disturb me der night in. I peen aple to slept shust like a top all der night ofer mitout vakin' ub ad all."

"I am glad you slept so well," smiled Frank. "There was some noise about the house in the night, and I thought it might have aroused you."

"I nefer heard something ad all," declared Hans. "I pelief me I hat a tream someding apout a ghost, but dot peen all."

"Oh, say," grunted Browning, clinching his huge fist and shaking it close down by his side. "You wait! There are other days coming!"

"Vell, I hope so," said the Dutch boy, blankly. "I don't vant dese von to peen der last von."

After breakfast a jolly party came over from the Meadowfair clubhouse, five miles away. There were nearly a dozen young ladies, and half as many gentlemen. It was plain they were in the habit of visiting Springbrook Farm often, for they were warmly welcomed, and made themselves quite at home.

"This is jolly!" cried Kenneth St. Ives, as he introduced Frank to Paul Stone, the leader of the party. "I knew something in the way of sport would turn up to-day. Do you play polo, Mr. Merriwell?"

"Yes," nodded Frank, with unusual eagerness; "I have played the game, but it has been some time since I have touched a mallet."

"Mr. Stone is a member of the American Polo a.s.sociation, as also is Steve Fenton, my cousin. Harden and I have applied, and we expect to get in. Father has caused a beautiful green to be laid over yonder. He has worked upon it till it is as solid as the finest green in the country, and we are looking to enjoy several meets here before we return to the city. We have been having a few games, and I think it is royal sport."

"It is the greatest sport in the world!" exclaimed Paul Stone, enthusiastically.

Frank smiled.

"It can't be that you have played much football or baseball, Mr. Stone,"

he said.