“Come back here, Master Rover!” he cried, as he saw Dick trying to mount the fence.

“Don’t you go!” whispered Sam, and tried to assist Dick from the other side, while Fred did the same.

Josiah Crabtree would have leaped from the window, but the bars held him back.

“I’ll get you yet!” he ejaculated wrathfully, and, turning, ran from the guardroom, with the intention of capturing Dick on the parade ground.

CHAPTER IX

A strange meeting in the woods.

To go back to Tom, at the time he was left alone by the head assistant of Putnam Hall, after refusing to give up the keys to his satchel and trunk.

“I’ve put my foot into it now,” thought the boy dismally.  “I wonder what Captain Putnam will say to all this when he hears of it? 0f course old Crabtree will make out the worst possible case against me.”

It was too dark to see much, and he dropped on the couch.  He was worried a good deal, yet he was not one to take anything too deeply to heart.

Before long a waiter appeared with a tray containing a big bowl of bread and milk.  Had Josiah Crabtree had his own way, he would have sent only bread and water for the lad’s supper, but such a proceeding would have been contrary to Captain Putnam’s rule.  The kind captain realized that his pupils were but boys and should not be treated as real prisoners, even when they did break the academy rules.

“Heah is yo’ suppah, sah!” announced Alexander, the waiter, as he set the tray on the table.  “Sorry I can’t leave the light, sah.”  He referred to a lamp, also, on the tray, which he now removed.

“What have you got?” asked Tom, sitting up.

“Bowl of bread and milk, sah.”

“Is that what they give visitors for supper?”

“Gracious, sah, is yo’ a visitah, sah?”

“I consider myself as such until I am placed on the muster roll.”

At this Alexander scratched his woolly head.  “Well, sah, I don’t know nuffin about dat, sah.  I has to obey Mr. Crabtree’s oahdahs, sah.”

“Has Captain Putnam come back yet?”

“No, sah, an’ he sent word dat he didn’t think he could git back, sah, before morning, sah.”

“Humph!  Then I’ll have to stay here until that time.”

“I reckon so, sah.”

“It’s a jolly shame.”

“Dat’s right, sah,” and Alexander grinned.

“Well, leave the bread and milk.  It’s better than nothing.  But hold on.  Who are you?”

“Alexander Pop, sah, at yo’ service, sah,” and again the colored man grinned.  He was a short, fat fellow, the very embodiment of good nature.

“Well, Alexander, if you are at my service, supposing you get me something else to eat beside this bread and milk.”

“Oh, sah, I couldn’t do dat.”

“Yes, you could.  Here is a quarter.  Don’t you want to earn that?” And Tom held out the silver piece.