“Thank you; we will if we can,” replied Paul, then all said good-bye, touched their hats and set out again for the road.

Presently Mr. Hartman saw their heads together in earnest conversation, and waited, believing that they had something more to say, and he was not mistaken, for they ran back, and Franz this time was spokesman.

“We forgot to invite you to come to see us,” he said earnestly.  “Fritz and Paul said that you would not care to visit boys not yet twelve years of age, but I said that my father is a forest-keeper like you, and I would invite you to visit him; so I do invite you and hope you will come.”

“I thank you heartily and would be glad to make his acquaintance.”

“And when you visit Franz’s father, you can visit mine,” suggested Fritz.

“And mine,” echoed Paul.

“If it should suit me at any time to visit Michelstadt, I would certainly be pleased to make the acquaintance of the fathers of such gentlemanly boys.”

The triplets smiled, touched their hats, started off again and were soon out of sight.

The journey that beautiful afternoon was truly charming, the sun shining brightly and all nature refreshed from its bath the evening before, and birds singing jubilantly in the trees by the roadside, but best of all, they were going home, would see all their loved ones before sunset, and would hear of the many, many things that had transpired during their absence.

“When we come in sight of the village, we will be as quiet as mice,” remarked Fritz.  “I would not have the Trojans see us for anything.”

“Why?” asked Paul.

“Because we look so shabby with our battered hats and our rusty shoes.”

“I will tell you what we can do,” suggested Franz.  “Our house comes first, and although it is only on the edge of the forest, it is easy for you two to go through the woods back of it, and come out at your own houses, and not a person in the village will know that we are at home until we choose to show ourselves.”

This stroke of policy was such a comfort that the spirits of the boys grew so jubilant that they laughed, chatted and sang, and even organized a parade in which Franz was drummer and Fritz and Paul fifers.

They were going along merrily, when they were startled by hearing “Hurrah!” shouted from behind a clump of bushes on the edge of the forest, and two of the Trojans came from behind it and stood grinning and pointing their fingers at the hats and shoes of the Grecian heroes.  They were followed by a whole troop of their schoolmates, many of them Trojans, and accompanied by the Director, and Paul’s father.  They had been to a tournament and had made a short cut through the forest on their way to the village.  The two teachers shook their heads and smiled at the appearance of the triplets, and the Trojans indulged in shouts and laughter.

“Let us stick a spray of laurel in their hats in token that they came back victors,” and the Trojan who suggested it ran off to the bushes, followed by the others.