The Rover Boys In the Mountains | Page 8

Then the door was locked again.
"It's heartless to leave poor Tubby in that cell," said Tom. "Let's get
him out too."
"All right--if you can find a key to fit the lock."
Losing no time, the brothers tried one key after another in the lock to
the door of the stone cell.
"Who's that?" came in a chatter from Tubbs.
"Tom Rover," was the answer. "I've just released Sam, and now we are
going to release you, if we can."
"Good for you Rover."
"There she goes!" cried Tom a few seconds later, and in a moment
more the door was opened and Tubbs stood in the hallway with the
Rover boys.
Tubbs was about to say something, when Sam suddenly caught him by
the arm.
"Hush!" he whispered. "Somebody is coming! I hope it isn't old
Grinder!"
CHAPTER IV.
DORMITORY NUMBER TWO.
For the moment none of the three students knew what to do. They felt

that if the approaching personage should be Jasper Grinder there would
certainly be "a warm time of it," to say the least.
Yet the approaching man was not the teacher, but Peleg Snuggers, the
man of all work around the Hall, a good-natured individual, well liked
by nearly all the students. Snuggers was in the habit of taking many a
joke from the scholars, yet he rarely retaliated, contenting himself with
the saying that "boys will be boys."
"It's Snuggers!" whispered Sam, after a painful pause. "What shall we
do?"
"Perhaps we can get him to keep quiet," returned Tom, also in a low
voice. "He's a pretty good sort."
"Do--don't trust him," put in Tubbs, in a trembling voice. "If I'm put
back in that cell I'll die; I know I will!"
"I have it," said Tom, struck by a sudden idea. "Into the storeroom with
you, quick!
"But he may be coming after me!" said Sam.
"Never mind--I'll fix it. Be quick, or the game will be up!"
On tiptoe the three students hurried into the storeroom and Tom shut
the door noiselessly. Then he slipped the key he still held into the lock
and turned it.
"Now groan, Sam," he whispered. "Pretend to be nearly dead, and ask
Peleg to bring Grinder here."
Catching the idea, Sam began to moan and groan most dismally, in the
midst of which Peleg Snuggers came up.
"Poor boy, I reckon as how he's nearly stiff from the cold," murmured
Snuggers. "And this bread and water won't warm him up nohow. I've
most a mind to bring him some hot tea on the sly, and a sandwich, too."

The general utility man tried to insert a key in the lock, but failed on
account of the key on the inside.
"Oh! oh!" moaned Sam. "Help! help!"
"What's the row?" questioned Snuggers.
"Is that you, Snuggers?"
"Yes, Master Rover."
"I'm most frozen to death! My feet and ears are frozen stiff already!"
"It's a shame!"
"Tell Mr. Grinder to come here."
"He won't come, I'm afraid. He just sent me with some bread and water
for you and for Master Tubbs."
"Water? Do you want me to turn into ice? Oh, Snuggers, please send
him. I know I can't stand this half an hour longer. I'll be a corpse!"
"All right, I'll fetch him," answered Snuggers. And setting down the
pitcher of water and loaf of bread he had been carrying he hurried off.
"Now is our time!" whispered Tom, as soon as he was certain the man
of all work was gone.
"But which way shall we go?" questioned Sam
"Follow me, and I'll show you."
Leaving the storeroom, Tom led the way through the semi-dark
hallway and up the stairs. At the rear of the upper hall was a bedroom
reserved for the captain's private guests.
"Come in here for the present," said Tom. And when I tap on the
window unlock the sash and be prepared to climb from the window to

the next, which connects with Dormitory No. 2."
"Good for you!" said Sam. "But how are you going to get to the
dormitory?"
"Leave that to me."
Leaving Sam and Tubbs to take care of themselves, Tom left the
bedroom and walked out in the upper hall once more.
He was just in time to hear Peleg Snuggers returning with Jasper
Grinder.
"It's all nonsense," he heard, in the teacher'? harsh voice. "The cold will
do both of the boys good."
"He said he was half frozen," insisted Snuggers. "If anything
serious-like happened to them, I dunno what the captain would say."
"I know nothing serious will happen," growled Jasper Grinder. "He was
merely trying to work upon your sympathies. Both could stay there till
morning easily enough."
"The wretch!" murmured Tom to himself. "I'm mighty glad I let them
out!"
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