howled Hans.

"Cintipades!" shrieked Barney.

Out of the beds they scrambled in hot haste, and to each one six or
eight of the crawfish were clinging.

"Wao-w!" roared Hans.

"Whoop!" bellowed Barney.

"I peen kilt alretty yet!" shrieked the Dutch boy. "I peen bit all
ofer py does cendibedes!"

"Begorra! there's a bushel av th' craythers hangin' to me!" shouted the
Irish lad. "Oi'm a dead b'y intoirely!"

"Hel-lup! hel-lup!" howled Hans, dismally.

Out into the center of the room danced the two boys, fighting, clawing,
striking at various parts of their bodies, where the crawfish
persistently clung. They collided, and both sat down heavily on the
floor.

"It's kilt we are!" moaned Barney.

"Dot peen near knockin' mine prains oud alretty yet!" declared Hans.

"Loight th' lamp!!

"Hel-lup! hel-lup! hel-lup!"

In some way they scrambled to their feet, and both lunged for the door,
which they beat upon with their fists, as if they would tear it down.

"Docther!" bellowed Barney.

"Toctor!" screamed Hans.

"Will yez get away fram thot dure, so Oi can open it?"

"Ged avay dot toor from mineself!" flung back the Dutch boy. "I ged me
to dot toor first, und I peen der first von oud!"

"Oh, ye will, will yez! We'll see about thot!"

Biff! smack! thud! thump! The two frantic boys were hammering each
other in the darkness of their room, while the listening jokers were
convulsed with merriment.

The uproar had aroused that entire section of the academy. The
sentinel came down the corridor at the double quick, just as Frank
Merriwell, partly dressed, leaped out of his room and flung himself
against the door of the room from which the racket issued.

Other boys came swarming into the corridor, and the excitement was
intense.

Merriwell burst into the room, and, a moment later, dragged out Hans
and Barney into the lighted corridor.

The crawfish were still clinging comfortably to various portions of the
garments in which the two lads had gone to bed. Seeing the creatures,
Hans uttered a howl of agony louder than any that had yet issued from
his throat.

"Cendibedes!" he wailed. "I vos a tead boy! I vos peen bit in more as
nine huntred und sefenteen blaces alretty yet! Vere vos dot toctor?"

"They're centipades sure!" groaned Barney. "An Oi didn't belave there
wur such craythers! Ouch! ouch! How they boight! Take 'em off!"

But the two lads danced, kicked and beat about them with their