“Mr. Crabtree Would hab me discharged if he cotched me, Master Rober.”

“Then don’t let him catch you, Aleck, my boy.”

At this the negro laughed and showed his immense ivories.

“Yo’ is jest de boy I dun like to see, sah,” he said.  “Jess wait an’ I’ll do wot I can fo!  You but mum’s de word, sah-eh?”

“I never peach, Aleck; it’s only a coward that does that,” concluded Tom.

The negro disappeared from the room, but reappeared in less than ten minutes with something done up in a napkin.

“Dare you am, sah,” he said, “two tongue sandwiches and a big piece of layer cake, sah, all I could git, fo’ Mrs. Green am werry sharp.  And here is a bit of candle, sah, for a light.  But please don’t let ’em know I brought yo’ de things, sah.”

“Never a word, Aleck, thank you,” answered Tom, and handed over the quarter.

Left again to himself, Tom lost no time in making way, not only with the sandwiches and cake, but also some of the bread and milk, for his day’s traveling had left him tremendously hungry.  The bit of candle was less than two inches long , and began to splutter just as the meal was finished.

A rattle at the door caused the lad to sweep the cake crumbs out of sight, blow out the candle, and pocket the tiny bit left.  Then the light of a lamp lit up the guardroom, and Josiah Crabtree came in.

“Well, Rover, have you enjoyed your supper?” he asked coldly, as he glanced at the half empty bowl.

“Very much,” was the youth’s equally cold reply.

“You like bread and milk, then,” was Crabtree’s sarcastic rejoinder.

“Nothing better, sir, for supper.”

The head assistant bit his lip, and then set down the lamp.

“Rover, don’t you think, you are making a bad beginning? “he said after a pause.

“I don’t. understand you, Mr. Crabtree.”

“Any other boy on joining a school would wish to make his entrance as creditable as possible.”

“But I haven’t joined this school yet.”

“I won’t argue that point.”

“I wasn’t even on your grounds, but in the public highway —­ and there shot off —­ what?  A simple firecracker.  And for that you hauled me to this place, and treat me like one who has broken half the laws of the land.  If Captain Putnam upholds you in this matter, do you know what I shall do?”

“Make an additional fool of yourself, I presume.”

“I shall write home to my guardian that I do not consider Putnam Hall a proper boarding academy for any boy, and that I want to be put somewhere else.”

At these outspoken words Josiah Crabtree grew pale.  His great unpopularity was already having its effect upon Captain Putnam, and he was afraid that if he should be the means of losing a pupil it might cost him his place, as much as he knew that the captain did not favor changes in his staff of instructors.