Читать книгу A West Point Treasure; Or, Mark Mallory's Strange Find онлайн

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“It fooled us all,” said Grace, consolingly.

“Ahem!” responded he, with crushing severity. “That was to be expected. But one who has pursued the science as the study of his life should not thus be deceived. Gentlemen, I am tired of being fooled, yea, by Zeus!”

“Do you mean,” inquired Mark, “that you want us to stop playing jokes on you?”

Mark had been a little conscience-stricken during that last prank. He expected the Parson to answer his question in the affirmative, and he meant in all seriousness to agree to stop. But the Parson’s answer was different. His professional pride had been awakened.

“I mean nothing of the kind!” said he. “I mean that I no longer mean to let you. I mean that a man who has so long resisted and outwitted our enemy, the yearlings, ought now to be beyond deception. I will no more be fooled!”

There was quite an exciting adventure destined to grow out of that scholarly defiance, an adventure that none of those present had the least suspicion of then.

“Do you mean,” inquired Mark, laughingly, “that you defy the Banded Seven to fool you again?”