“Sure we do,” said the Maniac. “You mean if you take an apple and a cup of hot water before retiring, you’ll never get a puncture.” I wish you could have seen that yard. It was a dandy place for a picnic. The grass was so soft and green. Gee, it was a dandy farm. “How can anyone ever accuse this place of being haunted?” asked the Maniac. “I think it’s a picture.” “Let’s go up to the hay loft,” said Pee-wee. “I can see lots of hay through this big door.” “Be careful, that’s all I’ve got to say,” said Westy. “I suppose it’s all right for us to climb up, we’re not hurting anything, or breaking anything, what do you think, Roy?” asked Warde. “I think it’s all right, we’re just having some fun, or honest pleasure, (oh what’s that saying again?) and I don’t think anyone’s mean enough to begrudge us our fun.” “You’ve got a good line, Roy,” said Warde. “Come on, we’re going to invade this barn, with you as our gallant leader,” said the Maniac. “Who, me?” said I. “Let Pee-wee lead us. Why to-morrow the whole town will know about the brave scouts; when Mr. Oltiemer reads his paper, he will know how the brave scouts, or rather how the charge of the light brigade swept the country side, how it invaded the poor old defenseless barn, with brigadier-general Harris leading his brave regiment through all sorts of falls and somersaults!” I wish you could of seen that kid. There he was, at the top of the ladder, ready to climb over to the loft, when _good night_, he stumbled. “Going down, Pee-wee?” asked the Maniac. “No stops ’til we reach the ground floor!” said Warde. And with a soft thud, Pee-wee landed on the bottom of the barn, hay and straw fairly sprouting from him. He was a picture no artist could paint. “Ooohh,” was about the only answer we could get from him. “Why, Walter, don’t you know how to eat straw and hay?” asked one of the Columbus scouts. “Ooohh,” Pee-wee said once more. “Why don’t you fellows try it? It’s great. Only it’s not so very great when your mouth is full of it and you can’t talk.” “All rightie,” said I. “We’ll try anything once, we’re brave, we can face the ‘Perils of Pauline’ without flinching or moving a muscle of our mouths.” “We ought to leave that up to Pee-wee. He can handle that situation better than any of us,” said Warde. “Thank goodness we’re not on a funny-bone hike now,” said Westy. “Falling down hay lofts won’t even count as adventures, will they, Hervey?” “Follow your leader, wherever he goes,” replied Hervey. “Don’t, please have pity, if you start those verses again, we’ll all get crazy again,” said I. “That’s all right,” said the Maniac, “if it wasn’t for those verses, we wouldn’t be here to-day. I’ll stand up for those verses whenever I get a chance, so there.” “Let’s climb the apple tree,” said Pee-wee. “Do you want to eat again?” asked Warde.