"I s'pose you're about the only man among us that he can't corner."

"How's that?"

"Why, if he's too hard on you, you can answer him in Hindustanee. He's
never been a heathen in all his life: you'd have him"--

"Shuah!" chuckled Dick.

The "green" was large and well-kept, and looked like the best kind of a
ball-ground; but there was nothing wonderful about the academy building,
except that it evidently had in it room enough for a great many boys.

"You'll see enough of it before you get through," said Fuz. "But
there'll have to be lots of whittling done this fall."

"Whittling? what for?"

"Why, don't you see? They've gone and painted the old thing all over
new. Every boy cut his name somewhere before we left last term. They're
all painted over now: maybe they're puttied up level. They did that once
before, and we had to cut 'em all out again."

"Oh!" said Ford, "I see: you were afraid they'd forget you. I don't
believe they would."

"You haven't pointed out Mrs. Myers's," said Dabney. "It must be pretty
near breakfast-time. Where is it?"

The Hart boys broke out into a joint giggle of enjoyment as Joe
responded,--

"There it is,--right across there, beyond the harness-shop, opposite the
other end of the green. Handy in bad weather."

"It's a pretty decent-looking house too," said Ford. "Come on: let's go
over, and let her know we've arrived in port."

"Well, no," said Joe: "you fellows go over, soon as you please. Fuz and
I won't take our breakfast there this morning."

"Going somewhere else, eh? Well, we'll have an eye to your trunks when
they come."

The giggle grew rapidly into a laugh, as Fuz exclaimed,--

"Trunks! why, our baggage'll go to our boarding-house. We don't put up
with Mother Myers this time: got a new place. Oh, but won't you fellows
just love her and Almira!"

It was all out, that deep secret about their change of boarding-house;
and the Hart boys had something to enjoy this time, for Dab and his
friends looked at each other for a moment in blank amazement.

"All right, boys," shouted Ford, at the end of it: "here's for some
breakfast. Good-morning, Joe. Day-day, Fuz. See you again by and by."

They all followed him, but they could see that there was something more
hidden under the mirth of Joe and Fuz as they walked away; and they were
hardly out of hearing before Dab Kinzer remarked,--

"Look a' here, boys, I move we don't give those two any fun at our
expense."

"How?