"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 bum node?" he sternly demanded. Everyone looked at each other in surprise, and Louie Knobloch said:
"I didn'd did id," said Peter Dinkelspeil.
"I didn'd done id," said Hermann Sweinskopf.
"I didn'd did did id," said Jacob Schnittger.
[Illustration: The controversy over the bum note.]
"You're de von," Emil Muller accused Louie Knobloch. "You plew dot bum node, no madder vot oxguse you make!"
"No, sir," said Louie Knobloch stoutly, "I don'd dood id."
"You're de von," insisted Emil Muller. "You plew dot bum node, it vass near me."
"No, sir," denied Louie Knobloch. "I don'd plow no bum nodes. I vass as goot a musiker as you pe, und maype vorse."
"You dake dot bum node und bay yourself," said Emil Muller reminded him.
"Oh, dot don'd make some ice!" said Louie Knobloch, accompanying the words with sarcastic shakes of his head. "I don'd see no medals on you."
He looked complacently down at his own chest and regarded with satisfaction the big assortment there. Emil Muller was evidently taken aback, but he recovered himself sufficiently to say:
"I am de leater, und you gan ged oudt off der pandt. Ve gan ged along mitout you."
"Oh, vell," said Louie Knobloch, "I gan go."
"Den vhy don'd you? Vat are you shtanding here for?"
"How much do you owe me?" asked Emil Muller.
"I owe you a veek's vages," said Louie Knobloch. "No, you owe me a veek's vages. You bay me my money und I go."
"You dake dot bum node und bay yourself," said Muller.
That settled the controversy, and Louis Knobloch made no effort to go, nor did Emil Muller urge him.
They made another attempt, without any further interruption, and, while their cheeks puffed out, and they got red in their faces, no one could tell what tune they were playing.
Dragonfel from the throne silently motioned to Grouthead who went out, and returned a few seconds later with a tray on which were four tiny glasses of ginger ale.
Jacob Schnittger turned and saw him, and then rushed to help himself to one of the glasses of ginger ale. A moment later Hermann Sweinskopf followed his example, and then Peter Dinkelspeil. Louie Knobloch suddenly noticed his companions preparing to refresh themselves, and made a frantic dash to join them. That left only Emil Muller, the leader, playing. He looked around to find out what was the matter, and then sprinted toward Grouthead, but there was no ginger ale left on the tray. He stood with ill-concealed envy watching the other four who were clinking their glasses hilariously. Then the quartet began to sing: