“I believe I hear a stir.  Yes, they are coming,” whispered one, rubbing his hands in glee.

“And I can tell exactly how they will act,” commented another.  “Otto will be crying from shame and anger at having to carry the things back.  Cross will hide his eyes with his arm, and Henry will hold a high head as much as to say, ‘who cares.’”

“But why don’t they come?  The hour was out when we came,” said a newcomer.

At that moment the lecture-room door opened quickly and the stern face of the principal appeared, and the boys joined in a stampede.

“Halt!” cried the professor.  “Come here!  Why are you boys loitering here so long after school hours?”

The boys reddened, but no one spoke.

“Henry Strong, speak; what are you doing here?”

“We wanted—­we thought—­we—­”

“Out with it.”

“The boys are to take back the weapons.”

“Well, what of that?”

“We are staying to see them.”

“Indeed!  Well, that is just what I expected, so I gave them permission to go out the back way some time ago and take the weapons to their places.  By this time they are quietly eating their suppers in their homes.”

There were many red faces at hearing the joke turned upon them, and they went quietly out of the yard, glad to be away from the piercing gaze of the principal, feeling that he could see into their hearts and minds as well as he could see through the lecture-room window.

In the meantime Odysseus-Fritz, Achilles-Franz and Patroclus-Paul were in triumphant possession of their weapons, and to add to their happiness they had a safe place to keep them, for the father of Franz, who was keeper of the forest, gave them a room in the forest cabin.  It had a lock and keys and the Grecian warriors realized that many a dark cloud has a silver lining.

CHAPTER II

THEY MEET A KIND FRIEND

The interest in their weapons gave place in a few days to preparations for the journey to Frankfort; and they decided to walk, just as such healthy, energetic boys would prefer, taking two days for the journey, and stopping for the one night at some wayside inn.

The mothers prepared the outfit, the main part of the clothing for the three boys to be packed in one satchel and sent by express to the home of Mrs. Fanny Steiner, the widowed sister of Fritz’s father, and the boys were to carry their school knapsacks strapped across their shoulders, containing the few articles they would need upon their journey.  The fathers agreed to furnish funds for the journey, and the three travelers, not having to bother about clothing or money, could give all their attention to the subject of weapons with which to overcome the dangers which might beset them on the way.

Fritz brought forward his rusty knife; Paul had found an old pistol of the time of the first Napoleon, in which lay no danger because it would not shoot; and Franz had an old cutlass which hung by a cord at his side.  They praised each other’s weapons, but Fritz and Paul could not help envying the owner of the cutlass.