Suiting the action to the word, Herr Schimmelpodt grasped the clerk by one shoulder and one thigh.  Up over his head the German raised the unhappy young man.  Herr Schimmelpodt’s arms fell and rose as he “exercised” with the young man for a wand.

Everything in the gym. had stopped.  All eyes were on this novel performance.  Roars of laughter greeted some new stunts that Herr Schimmelpodt performed with his human wand.  The great German was the only one who seemed unconscious of the hurricane of laughter that he was causing.

At last the German put his victim back on the floor.

“Yah, young mans, I am much oblige dot you show me how I need eggsercise.  I feel much better alretty.”

Red-faced, the clerk fled to the other side of the room, followed by the laughter of the other gymnasts.

Yet Herr Schimmelpodt’s good-natured performance had great value.  It taught many of the young men present how far this generation has fallen behind in matters of personal strength.  Mr. Morton had easier sailing after that.

CHAPTER XI

The “King Deed” of Daring

“Yes; that performance helped a lot.”

Herr Schimmelpodt was prevailed upon, by Mr. Morton, to come around on another evening to show some further feats with his great strength.

Around the waist-line the German was flabby; the fat rolled in heavy ridges.  Feeling aware of this defect in personal appearance Herr Schimmelpodt determined to devote some of his abundant leisure to getting his belt line into smaller compass.  But the German would not do this before all eyes in the public, gym.  So he and some other well-to-do business men who were conscious that the years had dealt too generously by them in the matter of flesh, hired a small hall and converted it into a private gym.

It was all the doings of Dick & Co., just the same.

The town was ripe, now, for performances in extraordinary athletics. 
Fate willed it that there should be a chance.

Once a year an opera company of considerable prominence appeared at Gridley for one evening.

Whenever this evening came around, it was made the occasion for a big time in local society.  The women of the well-to-do families turned out in their most dazzling finery.

This year “Lohengrin” was to be sung at the local opera house.  Dick could have obtained, at “The Blade” office, free seats for Dave and himself for this Friday night.  But they were still in close training, and there was a game on for the afternoon of the day following.  For that reason nine o’clock found both of the young men in bed and asleep.

Near the opera house the street was thronged with carriages.  Carriage after carriage drove up and discharged its load of handsomely dressed women and their more severely attired escorts.  All of Gridley that could attend the opera were in evening dress.