"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."
