Dave.

"Why, the Governor's shut out on the roof, and can't get down," said
Dave, handing Billy the paper. "He must have been looking at the Fair
Grounds."

Old Billy lowered his great silver-rimmed glasses from his forehead to
his nose, and read the paper. He gazed for a moment in a queer way over
his glasses at Dave, and then laying his hand pretty heavily on Dave's
shoulder, said, "Come with me."

"I haven't time; and, besides, I don't want any reward," answered Dave.

There was a small room, or closet, back of Billy's "office," toward
which he moved, holding fast to Dave.

Remembering that the old janitor was rather deaf, Dave then formed his
hands in the shape of a trumpet and shouted in the direction of Billy's
right ear, "I say, Billy, I haven't time to go with you."

"Don't you call me Billy, you young rascal!" fiercely exclaimed the old
man. "My name's Mr. William Simms."

Before Dave could make reply he felt himself shaken, pushed into the
closet, and saw the door nearly closed.

"There, you've played that trick once too often," said old Billy. "It's
downright murder in you boys to try and fool me into going up seven long
flights of steps on an awful hot day like this."

"I did find that paper," said Dave, indignantly.

"Don't tell me you're innocent; you're a desperate character," said old
Billy, slamming to the door, and turning the key. "Now," continued he,
shouting through the key-hole, "I'll leave you in there two or three
hours to think what a dreadful thing it is to try and trick an old
rheumatic veteran."

The closet, Dave saw, was where Billy kept his brooms and brushes; the
ceiling was very high, and a small round window far up on the wall
furnished the light. At the back of the closet was a small sliding
shutter, which, after considerable trouble, Dave managed to push up,
hoping he might escape through it into another room. It disclosed a
dark, square funnel, that seemed to extend far down below and far up
above him, and suspended in which were several wire ropes.

"It must be the funnel where the dumb-waiter slides," thought Dave, and
he caught hold of the nearest rope, pulling and shaking it to attract
attention, and calling loudly at the same time. At once he heard a
tinkle-tinkle of a small bell up the dark funnel; and then a scraping
sound from the same direction, seeming to draw nearer him. Directly the
dumb-waiter cage was seen descending, and Dave held fast to the wire
rope un