At the church they had been greeted by the assembled crowd with great noise and much confused talking, and then they were accompanied to the parsonage by the schoolmates, who were crazed with joy at seeing Erick.
In the general excitement and joy, the colonel had been quite forgotten.
He had sat down unnoticed on a chair, and had listened attentively to the reports, following with his eyes the lively gestures which the excited Erick was making in the zeal of telling his story.

Now the reports were finished and for the first time Erick's eyes beheld the stranger in the crowd.

The latter beckoned him to come to him; Erick obeyed at once.
"Come here, my boy, hither," and the colonel placed him right before him.

"So, just look straight in my eyes.

What is your name ?" Erick with his bright eyes looked directly into those of the strange gentleman, and without hesitation he said: "Erick Dorn." The gentleman looked at him still more directly.