140 Hans Brinker

and, of course, he at once hunted up this famous organ. He
gained admittance, and was playing upon it with all his might,
when the regular organist chanced to enter the building. The
man stood awestruck. He was a good player himself; but he
had never heard such music before. ‘ Who is there?’ he cried.
‘If it is not an angel or the devil, it must be Handel!’ When
he discovered that it was the great musician, he was still more
mystified. ‘ But how is this?’ said he: ‘you have done im-
possible things. No ten fingers on earth can play the passages
you have given: human hands couldn’t control all the keys
and stops.’ — ‘I know it,’ said Handel, coolly, ‘and, for that
reason, I was forced to strike some notes with the end of my ”
nose.” Donder! just think how the old organist must have
stared |”

“Hey! What?” exclaimed Jacob, startled when Peter’s
animated voice suddenly became silent. ;

“Haven’t you heard me, you rascal?” was the indignant
rejoinder.

“Oh, yes !— no — the fact is —I heard you at first. I’m
awake now; but I do believe I’ve been walking beside you
half asleep,” stammered Jacob, with such a doleful, bewildered
look on his face that Peter could not help laughing.