“’Ush, there is Darrell!” cautioned Bradley. “I don’t care if he hears me!” said Black. “He came as near doing us up to-day as possible, and I don’t believe he wanted us to win.” “’E’ll fight hif ’e ’ears you,” said the cockney youth. “He is too interested in Doris Templeton to hear anything,” asserted Barron. “See how he is laughing and talking with her. Why, I haven’t seen him that way for months! He has been sullen, and sour, and grouchy all the time. What’s come over him so suddenly?” “Fellers!” piped Obediah Tubbs, rising and waving his fat hands in the air, “I perpose a little music; let’s sing—let’s all sing! Let’s sing some classic air by some great composer!” Up popped Ted Smart, who had been remarkably quiet. “What composer is most noted of modern times?” he propounded. “Give it up,” said some one. “What composer is the most noted?” “Chloroform!” cried Ted, and promptly sat down. “Somebody ought to give him a medal, by Jim!” squeaked the fat boy. “Why does your mouth make me think of a tavern door? Give it up? He! he! Because it’s always open.” “That’s funny!” sneered Ted. “That’s dreadful funny, but you will have to write it out for us. Wait until you have had a square meal. Why isn’t it best to write on an empty stomach?” “You tell,” invited Tubbs. “You’re so all-fired bright, go ahead and tell why it isn’t best to write on an empty stomach.” “Because there is plenty of paper to write on,” said Ted serenely. “Hello, Darrell!” called Dick, “what is the best land for girls?” “America,” answered Darrell promptly. “The girls of America beat the world. You couldn’t tell of a better land for them.” “Oh, yes, I can,” was the reply. “Name it.” “Lapland.” There was a little burst of applause and laughter. When it subsided Billy Bradley gravely asked: “’Ow his that? Hi never ’eard there were prettier girls in Lapland than hanywhere else.” This caused another shout of laughter, and Billy scratched his head in a puzzled manner, trying to discover the cause of the merriment. Ted Smart looked sad and disgusted. “See here, Dick Merriwell, you ought to be put in jail for that! That’s stealing! I own the copyright on that conundrum! But I bet you can’t tell the difference between a jeweler and a jailer.” “One sells watches and the other watches cells,” answered Dick, laughing. “Give us something new.” “Confound you!” snapped Ted. “If I had a gun I’d use it on you! But, speaking of guns, what does a seventy-four-gun ship and her crew weigh with all on board?” “What’s the answer?” laughed Dick. “What does she weigh?” “She weighs anchor,” smiled Ted, satisfied at last. “Great Cæsar!” exclaimed Jolliby. “These are coming fuf-fuf-fuf-fast!” Immediately Smart bobbed up again. “Speaking of Cæsar,” he said, “what proof have we that he was acquainted with the Irish?” “Hacquainted with the Hirish!” said Bradley. “’Ow was ’e? ’E couldn’t ’ave been!” “History proves it,” asserted Ted.