That turned the cheering to laughter.  The big German held up his right hand for silence.

“Ladies und chentlemen,” shouted Herr Schimmelpodt, as soon as he could make him self heard, “I don’t vant to bose as a hero!”

“That’s all right,” came with a burst of goodhumored laughter.  “You’re not!”

“It vos really nottings vot I did,” continued the German, with another bow.

“True for you.”

“Maybe,” continued Herr Schimmelpodt, “you think I vos afraid when I climb dot pole.  But I wos not—–­I pledch you mein vord.  It is nottings for me to climb flagpoles.  Ven I vos ein poy in Germany I did it efery day.  But I will not dake up your time mit idle remarks.  I repeat dot I am not ein hero.”

The wily old German had played out his purpose.  He had turned the wild cheering, which he knew would have embarrassed Prescott, into a good-natured laugh.  He had diverted the first big burst of attention away from the boys, much to the relief of the latter.

But now the crowd bethought itself of the heroes that a crowd always loves.  Hundreds pressed about to shake the bands of Prescott and Darrin.

“Get into my car!  Stand up in front of Mrs. Macey and myself until we can get out of this crowd,” urged Mr. Macey, bustling the boys toward the runabout.

Mrs. Macey, whitefaced, was crying softly and could not speak.  But her husband, with the two boys standing up before him, honked his horn and turned on the power, starting the car slowly.  A path was thus made for their escape through the crowd, though the cheering began again.

“Now, you can put us down, if you will, sir,”, suggested Dick, when they had reached the outer edge of the crowd.

“Not yet,” retorted Mr. Macey.

“Why not, sir?”

“You’ve a little trip to make with me yet.”

“Trip?”

“Wait a moment, and you’ll see.”

Less than two minutes later Mr. Macey drove his car up in front of one of the banks and jumped out.

“Come on, boys,” he cried.  “I want to get that reward off my mind.”

“You run in, Dick,” proposed Dave, on the sidewalk.  “I’ll wait for you.”

“You’ll go with me,” Prescott retorted, “or I won’t stir inside.”

So Darrin followed them into the bank.

“I’m so thankful to see you boys safely out of the scrape,” declared Mr. Macey, inside, “that I’m going to pay the full reward to each of you.”

“No you won’t,” retorted Dick very promptly.  “You’ll pay no more than you offered.  Dave and I’ll divide that between us.”

“Not a cent for me!” propounded Darrin, with emphasis.

“If you don’t share the reward evenly, I won’t touch a cent of it either, Dave Darrin,” rejoined Dick heatedly.

Dave tried to have his way, but his chum won.  Mr. Macey made another effort to double the reward, but was overruled.