CHAPTER VII.
A BLACK SAMSON.
The sound of boyish voices at a distance finally aroused them.
"It must be the baseball squad over on the field," said Bart. "Don't youwish to go over, Carson?"
"Eh? Did you speak to me?" asked Berlin, glancing up from the pellucidwater.
"Hear those chaps over on the field?"
"Yes."
"We haven't looked that field over, you know. It's very interesting. Youhaven't begun to inspect things yet, my boy. You want to see how Merryhas fitted up for all sorts of sports here. You ought to see thebathhouse and the little clubhouse, the stand, the track, the diamond,and the field in general."
"I suppose so."
Carson displayed very little desire to move.
"Well, come on," urged Hodge.
Without protest Berlin stepped from the boat to the float and followedBart. In a short time they were on the athletic field.
"What do you think of it?" asked Hodge, with a sweep of his hand. "Justtake a good look."
"It's a splendid field, I should say; but I don't see where the peopleare coming from to fill that stand over yonder."
Bart laughed.
"That does look like a problem, doesn't it. The stand is almost largeenough for a city race track. All the same, it has been crowded morethan once this season."
"It doesn't seem possible."
"Certainly it doesn't."
"Why, it looks as if the stand could accommodate the whole of Bloomfieldand have room to spare."
"Merry doesn't draw on Bloomfield alone. There are lots of towns aroundhere, and they're already hot on athletics. Wellsburg isn't so far away,and more than once Wellsburg has sent trainloads of people down here.Pittston is larger than Bloomfield, and Pittston has the fever. Iunderstand the citizens of this little town thought Merry crazy when hebuilt that stand. They've changed their minds since."
"No one besides Frank Merriwell could build a stand like that and bringout people to fill it in a little country village. His old-timemagnetism is as strong as ever. He draws people to him. Whatever hedoes, he arouses them, and they come out like magic."
"That's right. This was a sleepy village if I ever saw one. In fact,this was the sleepiest burg I ever did see. I was here, you know, beforeFarnham Hall was built. I was here before the old Merriwell house wasremodeled and turned into Merry Home. This field was an uneven, rockystrip of land, and the lake down yonder was half drained, the dam havingfallen into disuse. The metamorphosis seems almost as surprising as themagic changes worked by Aladdin's lamp. Frank is the modern Aladdin. Hehas the lamp hidden somewhere--I'm sure of it."
At the bathhouse they found the big colored man, Jumbo, who bowed mostrespectfully to Hodge.
"Hello, Jumbo," said Bart. "How are your muscles to-day?"
"Well, sah," grinned the darky, "dey am not painin' me so much as deyuster was. No, sah! Marsa Frank he sorter finds plenty ob work fo' toreduce de pain in mah muscles."
"Berlin," said Bart, "Jumbo is so strong that his muscles actually acheunless he can have some strenuous occupation by which to employhimself."
The big negro grinned and winked at Carson.
"That was what Ah tol' Marsa Frank when Ah come here," he said. "Ahwanted a job as perfesser in de 'cademy mos' monstrous baad. Dat gemmanfriend ob mine, Toots, he done tol' me dar was an openin' for a physicumdestructor at de 'cademy. So, seem' Ah had all dat strength to spare, Ahjes' 'plied fo' de position. It happened Ah was about twenty minutes toolate. De place was filled, but Marse Frank he gibbed me anudder job. Inde first place, he made me 'sistant physicum janitor at the 'cademy. AllAh had to do was to keep things cleaned up around de place and fro outon de back ob dere necks dem fool people what come round to bodder MarsaFrank. Ah was so skeered for fear Ah wouldn't qualify fo' de position ob'sistant physicum janitor dat Ah jes' scratched gravel night an' day,and it wa'n't long before the reduction of the pain in mah muscles begunto took place. I was plumb busted when Marsa Frank gib me dat position.Ah didn't hab a cent about me. Eber hear ob a coon what didn't hab acent about him? Yah! yah! yah! Well, sah, dat was my condition. Now,sah, Ah'ze rich. Ah'ze gut eleben dol's in de bank, an' Ah'ze addin' toit continerly, sah--Ah'ze addin' to it continerly. If things keep up an'nuffin' goes wrong, Ah'll soon hab mo' money dan dat bloated bondholder, old Stranded Royle, an' dey say he's one ob de richest Creasesdere am outside ob de Raithchils. But Ah ain't nowhere nigh as rich asat gemman friend ob mine, Toots. Bah golly! Ah bet dat brack nigger hasgut pretty nigh a hundred dollars salted away. He suttingly belongs tode colored narrerstocracy. If Ah eber 'cumulates as much as dat, Ah'llbuy a brownstone house in Pillumdelphy an' settle down dar to lib on mahincome. Ah'd suttinly like to keep mah strength down the rest ob mahlife a crippin' coupins off'n gover'ment bands. Neber see none ob demgover'ment bands, but, bah jinks! dey mus' be de real stuff. Yah! yah!yah!"
At last, to the satisfaction of Hodge, Carson was genuinely amused, andhe joined heartily in the infectious laughter of the big colored man.