"Hermann Sweinskopf!"

"He's peen here."

"Jacob Schnittger!"

"Bresend early."

"Emil Muller!"

There was no response, and all the rest turned and looked at the leader in surprise.

"Emil Muller!" he repeated, and then, suddenly recollecting something, went on: "Oh, oxguse me! I va.s.s here. Heinrich von Strauss! Heinrich von Strauss! Vere iss Heiny von Strauss?"

"He va.s.s py his bedt sick," said Louie k.n.o.bloch.

"Vat's der madder mit der bedt?" demanded Emil Muller. "For vhy iss id sick?"

"Nein, nein, keppelmeister," said Louie k.n.o.bloch. "Id iss Heiny vat iss sick. He iss sick by der inside off der bedt."

"Vhy iss he sick?" asked Emil Muller.

"Yestertay," explained Louie k.n.o.bloch, "he vend on der bicnig, und he eated four dozen charlotte roosters, und he gets der collywopples."

He ill.u.s.trated his remarks by significantly rubbing his stomach. "He vas not in goot cont.i.tion to plow ven ve left."

[Ill.u.s.tration]

"Anyvone vot eadts charlotte roosters ought der be sick," said Emil Muller decidedly. "He shoult eat dem vhen dey iss a egg. Blay!"

All raised their instruments to their mouths, but he held up a warning finger.

"Anodder t'ing," he went on to k.n.o.bloch. "You dell Heinrich off he va.s.s nod here dermorrow morning ad half basd four in der afdernoon, vhen I gall der rehearsal, arous mit him! Are you retty?"

"Yah!"

"Den plow yourselfs!"

Then began a wild riot of discord, whereupon Emil Muller quickly took his own dented offending cornet from his mouth.

"Ve vill nod blay dot biece," he announced. "Id iss no goot."

"Vhy don'd you wride some musigs, keppelmeister?" suggested Peter d.i.n.kelspeil.

"I voult, bud I'm doo pusy," said Emil Muller. "Led us renter insteadt dot peaudiful biece fon Vawgner, 'Der Glock on der Rhine.'"

"Vatch, keppelmeister," corrected Louie k.n.o.bloch.

"Vatch vat?" inquired Emil Muller.

"Id iss nod a glock," explained Louie k.n.o.bloch. "Id iss a vatch on der Rhine."

"A glock all gan see iss besser," said Emil Muller, and in the midst of their second attempt Hermann Swinescopf raised his hand and shouted in the effort to make himself heard above the din:

"Shtob der pandt! Shtob der pandt! I am shbeaking!"

"Vot's der madder?" asked Emil Muller.

"Va.s.s iss der biece you say ve blay?" questioned Hermann Sweinskopf.

"I say 'Der Glock on der Rhine' fon Vawgner," replied Emil Muller.

They started once more, but again came the vigorous interruption from Hermann Sweinskopf:

"Shtob der pandt! Shtob der pandt! I am shbeaking!"

"Vhy don'd you shbeak your moud oud undt pe done mit it?" said Emil Muller angrily.

"Va.s.s iss dis here biece, 'Der Glock on der Rhine,' anyhow? Iss id a so-na-da?"

"Yess--undt no!" said Emil Muller, reflecting. "Id iss a in-u-en-do! Are you all retty?"

"Yah!" they chorused, setting themselves in proper shape.

"Vell, altogedder den, und show de vorld vot you can do!"

Then came a third attempt, but the leader again stopped them.

"Who plew dot b.u.m node?" he sternly demanded. Everyone looked at each other in surprise, and Louie k.n.o.bloch said:

"Vell, I don'd dood id."

"I didn'd did id," said Peter d.i.n.kelspeil.

"I didn'd done id," said Hermann Sweinskopf.

"I didn'd did did id," said Jacob Schnittger.

[Ill.u.s.tration: The controversy over the b.u.m note.]

"You're de von," Emil Muller accused Louie k.n.o.bloch. "You plew dot b.u.m node, no madder vot oxguse you make!"

"No, sir," said Louie k.n.o.bloch stoutly, "I don'd dood id."

"You're de von," insisted Emil Muller. "You plew dot b.u.m node, it va.s.s near me."

"No, sir," denied Louie k.n.o.bloch. "I don'd plow no b.u.m nodes. I va.s.s as goot a musiker as you pe, und maype vorse."

"You dake dot b.u.m node und bay yourself," said Emil Muller reminded him.