"I want a horse, Peleg. Which one can I have?"
"A horse! Did the captain send you?"
Instead of replying Tom held out a silver quarter. "Don't ask questions, Peleg, but just let me take a horse for an hour or two, that's a good man."
"Can't do it, Master Rover—against orders, sir."
"Oh, yes, you can. We won't hurt the beast. We are bound to get to Cedarville and back before ten o'clock. Do you want us to drop on the road from exhaustion and be frozen to death?" and Tom put the question in all seriousness.
"No, no, certainly not!"
"Then bring out a horse. That black will do. Here, take the quarter, Peleg, and much obliged to you. Hurry up."
"Was there ever such a boy!" grumbled the man; but, nevertheless, he arose and got the black horse ready for them, hooking the animal to a small cutter. "Remember, if the captain learns of this, I don't know nothing about it," he called out, as the two boys drove off by a back way, out of sight of the main building of the institution.
"Peleg is all right, if you know how to handle him," said Tom, as he took the reins from Dick.
