“Oh, you’re nervous,” declared Ned, and then conversation on that line came to an end, for Mr. Buttle announced supper. It was as good a meal as could be expected under the circumstances, and the boys and the professor did full justice to it.
“An’ now for beds,” announced their host, and a little later, having been gone from the room for some time, he came back to state that the sleeping, arrangements were completed.
“I’ll have to put you three young fellows on beds on th’ floor in one room,” he said, “an’ Mr. Snodgrass kin have th’ next room. It’s the best I kin do.”
“Can’t we all be together?” asked Jerry, with a suspicious glance at his companions.
“I’m sorry, but my house ain’t quite big enough,” was the answer.
“Oh, I don’t mind,” Professor Snodgrass hastened to say. “I’ll take all my valuables in with me, for I wouldn’t want anything to happen to them. I’ll be all right, and we can leave the door open between.”
Jerry felt that it would hardly be right to say anything more, and so, in about half an hour, when they were nearly dried out before the welcome blaze, they went up to the improvised bedrooms.
“I thought you said we could have the door open between our room and the professor’s?” asked Jerry when he had looked at the arrangements.
“Wa’al, I did think so, but I jest discovered that th’ connectin’ door is locked, an’ I can’t find th’ key,” said Mr. Buttle, nervously moving about.
“Oh, it won’t matter,” was the professor’s opinion, and he went into his apartment carrying with him his precious boxes of specimens, while Jerry, with growing suspicion, caught a crafty look which Mr. Buttle gave the scientist.