376 Hans Brinker

“ Birmingham ! Higgs!” exclaimed Hans. “ Did you say
Higgs? We’ve found him! I must be off.”

“You see, young masters,” panted the dame, at the same
time snatching Hans’ hat from the bed, “ you see — we know
him. He’s our—nao, he isn’t —I mean —oh, Hans, you
must go to Amsterdam this minute ! ”

“ Good-night, mynheers! ” panted Hans, radiant with sudden
joy, — “good-night! You will excuse me, I must go.
Birmingham — Higgs — Higgs — Birmingham 1” And, seiz-
ing his hat from his mother, and his skates from Gretel, he
rushed from the cottage.

What could the boys think, but that the entire Brinker
family had gone suddenly crazy ?

They bade an embarrassed “ good-evening,’
go. But Raff stopped them.

“ This Thomas Higgs, young masters, is a— a person.”

« Ah!” exclaimed Peter, quite sure that Raff was the most «

2

and turned to

crazy of all.
“ Yes, a person —a—ahem!—a friend. We thought
him dead. I hope it is the same man. In England, did you
say?”
“Yes, Birmingham,’

’

answered Peter: “it must be Bir-
mingham in England.”

“I know the man,” said Ben, addressing Lambert. “ His
factory is not four miles from our place. A queer fellow, still
as an oyster. Don’t seem at all like an Englishman. I’ve

>

often seen him,—a solemn-looking chap, with magnificent
eyes. He made a beautiful writing-case once for me to give
Jenny on her birthday. Makes pocket-books, telescope-cases,
and all kinds of leather work.”

As this was said in English, Van Mounen, of course, trans-