CHAPTER XIII

THE PROFESSOR’S LUNCH

“Well, what are we going to do?” asked Ned, after a long and rather gloomy pause.

“I don’t know,” answered Jerry.

“Might as well go on in the auto,” suggested Bob. “We’ll get to Denver to-morrow or next day, won’t we?”

“Oh, yes,” agreed the tall lad, “but Noddy will be a good deal ahead of us, even if he is on a slow local. Hang it! Why didn’t I think to wind my watch. I meant to, but we had so many things to think about that it slipped my mind.”

“Well, there’s no use crying over spilled milk,” consoled Ned. “The thing now is to decide what’s best to do. We might have looked at our watches.”

The station agent had gone outside to attend to some of his duties, leaving the boys and the professor alone in the depot. The scientist seemed to have shaken all cares from his shoulders, as he walked about, peering through his powerful spectacles for any stray specimens he might be able to capture.

“Well, the only thing I see,” spoke Jerry, “is to take the Limited to-morrow. We can stay here in town to-night. I guess we’ll go to a hotel, for I want to stretch out in bed. Then I can arrange with some garage man myself, about looking after the auto, instead of leaving it for the station agent to do. But I certainly am sorry we missed that train. We’d be ahead of Noddy by this time.”

“It wasn’t your fault any more than it was ours,” spoke Ned. “We ought to have looked at our watches, too.”

Bob said nothing. He had strolled over to the far side of the depot where there was a lunch counter. But the place was closed by glass partitions, through which the food could be seen.

“Just look at Chunky,” said Ned in a low tone.

“Here, come away from there!” called Jerry in a loud voice to his chum. “Hands off!”

Bob started.

“Can’t I look at it if I want to?” he asked. “I was seeing if they had any nicer stuff than we did in the auto. If they did we might better eat here instead of going to the hotel. Supper’ll be over there, anyhow.”

“Come away, or you’ll get wireless indigestion,” advised Jerry. “Oh, say, I wish I knew what to do,” he added impatiently.

“Guess the only thing is to go to bed and take the first train in the morning,” advised Ned.

At that moment a young woman came into the depot. She walked with a business-like air, and, advancing to the lunch room, opened the door leading into it. Then she began taking down the glass windows that closed it off. Bob, who had walked back toward his chums, started for the counter again.

“Would you look at Chunky!” remarked Ned again. The stout lad was eagerly looking over the collection of food, at the same time casting stray glances at the young woman--she was little more than a girl.

“Are--are you going to serve lunch?” asked Bob.

“If anybody wants it--and I hope they do,” was her reply with a bright smile, showing two rows of white, even teeth.

“I--I guess I do,” went on Bob, with a half-ashamed glance at his chums.

“Here, Bob! You come away from there!” ordered Ned in a loud voice. “Don’t go to bothering the young lady. You mustn’t mind him, miss,” went on the joking Ned. “He’s harmless. We’re taking him back to the asylum. He just got out to-day--escaped. He thinks he’s always hungry. Did he annoy you?” and with a half-fierce air Ned started for Bob.

“No--no, sir, he didn’t say anything out of the way,” replied the girl, with a startled air.

“Well, he doesn’t mean anything,” explained Ned without a smile. “He always imagines he’s hungry. That’s his peculiar form of insanity. You wouldn’t believe it, but he just ate three roast chickens, not half an hour ago, and my partner and I have had the hardest work to prevent him breaking into your lunch room. Come over here, I say, or we’ll put the strait-jacket on you!” ordered Ned to his fat chum.

For a moment Bob could only gasp, he was so surprised. Then he ripped out:

“Well of all the nerve! I’ll fix you for that! Don’t you believe him!” he went on. “I’m not crazy at all, I’m only hungry.”

“They all say that,” put in Jerry, carrying on the joke.

“Jerry Hopkins!” cried Bob. “I--I’ll----”

He did not say what he would do, for at that moment Professor Snodgrass, who had been unsuccessful in his search for insects, approached the lunch counter. The girl had started the coffee machine, and an aromatic odor filled the waiting room.

“Ah, that smells good!” exclaimed the professor. “I believe I will have a cup of coffee, and some sandwiches. Will you join me, boys, as long as we have to wait?”

“Yes, do,” urged Bob, and he glanced appealingly at his chums. They did not have the heart to plague him further, and with a laugh, at which the girl seemed much relieved, Jerry clapped his stout companion on the back, and linked arms with him.

“I believe I can take something myself,” spoke Ned. “Bob, you do the ordering, and then we’ll go to the hotel, and try to forget our troubles in sleep.”

They drew the tall stools up to the marble-topped lunch counter, and the girl, evidently much relieved, and pleased at so many customers at that hour, began setting out plates, spoons, knifes and other table utensils in front of them.

“Chicken pies!” exclaimed Bob, rubbing his hands as he scanned the bill of fare. “That sounds good. We’ll start with them.”

“I think I will take some fruit first,” said the professor. “Those bananas look tempting,” and he motioned to some under a glass cover.

“Just help yourself to them, please,” invited the lunch girl. “I’ll put the chicken pies in the oven to heat.”

Mr. Snodgrass lifted the cover off the bananas, and, as he did so he uttered one of his usual cries of delight.

“There it is! There it is!” he exclaimed. “Oh, what a beauty, and such a long tail! Oh, I must get that! Look out boys! Don’t let it get away.”

“Oh, what is it?” screamed the girl. “It’s a mouse, I know it is! Oh, a mouse! A mouse! Father, come quickly!” and she leaped upon a small stool, and thence to the broad shelf back of the lunch counter, while Professor Snodgrass clapped a specimen box down over something amid the bananas.