“I don’t know how I got there, but I dreamed that I was in a trunk and the lid was almost down, and I could not raise it.”

“Oh, you silly boy! of course you fell out of that narrow bed.  What possessed you to all crowd in there when there are three beds in the room?”

“We did not wish to pay for all three.”

“Then why did you not tell me that you wished only one bed, and I would have put you in a room where there is a larger one?  Now, why did you barricade the door?”

“We were afraid of robbers,” explained Paul after a long pause.

This amused the innkeeper mightily and he laughed till he shook.

“Locked and barred one door and left the other standing wide open!” he said with tears of mirth in his eyes.

“Well, well,” he said, “no harm is done.  Now each one get into a bed, with no heed to the pay.  Mr. Furman has paid the whole bill for your stay here in return for the sweet songs you sang for him.”

The boys made great eyes over this piece of news, and lost no time in getting themselves into the other beds.

“Wait, boys!  You must first put the pieces of furniture back in their places, then go to bed and sleep well.  You yet have several hours.  What time do you wish to leave in the morning?”

“At six o’clock we must be on our way.”

“All right,” said the jolly landlord, and as he glanced at their rosy, bright faces, each in his own bed, he laughed, shook his head and went out, and soon the three boys and Pixy were sound asleep.

It is not known how long they would have slept had not the landlord paid them another visit.

“You have slept past the breakfast hour.  Do you intend sleeping until dinner time?” he asked laughingly.

“No indeed!  What time is it?” asked Fritz, opening his eyes sleepily.

“Nine o’clock and I thought you wished to start at six.”

“Up, you sleepers!” cried the boy, as he sprang out of bed.  The others obeyed promptly and commenced dressing, and in a short time appeared with clean hands, faces and teeth, at the good breakfast provided for them, their hair neatly brushed, and their spirits refreshed from a sound sleep in comfortable beds.  On the back porch was a dish of good food for Pixy, that he might be ready to go as soon as the boys finished the meal.

When they were about to continue their journey, the landlord gave each of them a large roll and one for Pixy, saying that it would stay hunger until they reached an inn where they could take dinner.

Pixy was delighted to see them again on the move, and while the boys were bidding the host and hostess good-bye ran out in the street; and before his master caught up with him, he was in the midst of a fight with street curs.  Fritz ran to protect his pet, who was taking his own part bravely, and Peter, the waiter at the inn, ran with a bucket of cold water which he dashed upon the circling mass of yelpers, and the fight was brought to a sudden finish.