icult, it was highly dangerous, but he
declared that he'd go alone if we wouldn't go with him, and of course we
couldn't think of that.

It appeared he had made a pretty careful study of the environment. From
our end window that faced the point of the promontory we could get a
fair idea of the stretch of wall, and the drop below. Also from the roof
we could make out more, and even, in one place, glimpse a sort of path
below the wall.

"It's a question of three things," he said. "Ropes, agility, and not
being seen."

"That's the hardest part," I urged, still hoping to dissuade him. "One
or another pair of eyes is on us every minute except at night."

"Therefore we must do it at night," he answered. "That's easy."

"We've got to think that if they catch us we may not be so well treated
afterward," said Jeff.

"That's the business risk we must take. I'm going--if I break my neck."
There was no changing him.

The rope problem was not easy. Something strong enough to hold a man and
long enough to let us down into the garden, and then down over the wall.
There were plenty of strong ropes in the gymnasium--they seemed to love
to swing and climb on them--but we were never there by ourselves.

We should have to piece it out from our bedding, rugs, and garments, and
moreover, we should have to do it after we were shut in for the
night, for every day the place was cleaned to perfection by two of our
guardians.

We had no shears, no knives, but Terry was resourceful. "These Jennies
have glass and china, you see. We'll break a glass from the bathroom and
use that. 'Love will find out a way,'" he hummed. "When we're all out of
the window, we'll stand three-man high and cut the rope as far up as we
can reach, so as to have more for the wall. I know just where I saw
that bit of path below, and there's a big tree there, too, or a vine or
something--I saw the leaves."

It seemed a crazy risk to take, but this was, in a way, Terry's
expedition, and we were all tired of our imprisonment.

So we waited for full moon, retired early, and spent an anxious hour or
two in the unskilled manufacture of man-strong ropes.

To retire into the depths of the closet, muffle a glass in thick cloth,
and break it without noise was not difficult, and broken glass will cut,
though not as deftly as a pair of scissors.

The broad moonlight streamed in through four of our windows--we had not
dared leave our lights on too long--and we worked hard