“They are cold enough,” was Dale’s comment. “See them slapping their arms.”
At last the crabbed teacher could stand it no longer. Leaving the general utility man to remain on guard, he started back for the Hall at a brisk pace.
“He is coming!” whispered Jack. “Now, boys, don’t make a sound.”
Reaching the door, Josiah Crabtree tried the knob.
“Humph! Who could have locked that?” he asked of himself. “Certainly I did not. Snuggers must have the key.”
“Ain’t got no key an’ I didn’t lock the door, Mister Crabtree,” said the hired man, on being questioned.
“Well, it is certainly locked now.”
“Ain’t nobuddy come here neither,” said Peleg Snuggers. He was growing tired of waiting around in the cold.
“I’ll try the other doors,” came from Josiah Crabtree, and he hurried off once more. Of course he found everything tight shut.
“Somebody has locked us out,” he muttered. “It must have been those boys. Perhaps they saw Snuggers and myself going to the gymnasium. Confound the luck!”