A few minutes passed, and Ben came up to the room, and the story of the adventure on the island and with Job Haskers had to be told again. Ben was as indignant as Sam and Shadow had been.
"I wouldn't stand for it!" he cried. "Why don't you report to Doctor Clay?"
"Because he is away," answered Dave. "But I may report to him to-morrow," he continued, thoughtfully.
A half-hour passed—to the hungry boys it seemed a long time—and then came a clatter of footsteps in the hallway. The door was banged open, and in came Sam and Shadow, followed by Gus Plum and Luke Watson, and each carrying a fair-sized bundle under his coat.
"We got there just in the nick of time!" panted Sam, for he was somewhat out of breath. "Fact is, I had to run after the wagon to stop it."
"And we got a dandy lot of stuff," continued Shadow. "Gus and Luke helped us to buy it."
"We are in for a spread to-night," explained Gus Plum. "But you fellows can eat all you wish right now."
The door was closed and locked, and one after another the bundles were opened. The boys who had done the purchasing had certainly "spread themselves," as Dave said. They had obtained some fresh rolls and cake, an apple and a pumpkin pie, some cheese, and some cold ham and tongue, a bottle of pickles, and five different kinds of crackers in boxes.
"This is certainly a spread and no mistake," said Dave, as he and Phil and Roger viewed the eatables with keen satisfaction.
"Chip Macklin has gone off to a farmer's house for two quarts of milk," said Shadow. "And I told him to bring some apples, too,—if he could get them."