Besides, if you are absent from the crowd too long somebody may grow suspicious of you.

I'll help Sam and Tubbs to a safe hiding-place." "Find out if they are there first--and lock the door after we are gone." Leaning out of the window Dick tapped on the next glass.

At once Sam showed himself.
"It's quite a climb, but I reckon I can make it," said the youngest Rover.
Waiting to hear no more, Tom hurried below, followed by Fred, and mingled with the crowd of students entering the mess hall.
Many of the boys were talking about the quarrel between Sam and Tubbs, and all condemned the actions of Jasper Grinder.
"He ought to have set them to doing extra lessons; that would have been punishment enough," said one of the big boys, who was captain of Company A of the students for that term.
This opinion was that held by the majority.

Several of the boys came to Tom to learn what he had to say.

But he merely shrugged his shoulders.
"Wait and we'll see what we will see," he said "Rover's got a card up his sleeve, that's as sure as you're born," said one of the students, and winked at Tom.