and fast at our
task of destruction.

Hangings, rugs, robes, towels, as well as bed-furniture--even the
mattress covers--we left not one stitch upon another, as Jeff put it.

Then at an end window, as less liable to observation, we fastened one
end of our cable, strongly, to the firm-set hinge of the inner blind,
and dropped our coiled bundle of rope softly over.

"This part's easy enough--I'll come last, so as to cut the rope," said
Terry.

So I slipped down first, and stood, well braced against the wall; then
Jeff on my shoulders, then Terry, who shook us a little as he sawed
through the cord above his head. Then I slowly dropped to the ground,
Jeff following, and at last we all three stood safe in the garden, with
most of our rope with us.

"Good-bye, Grandma!" whispered Terry, under his breath, and we crept
softly toward the wall, taking advantage of the shadow of every bush
and tree. He had been foresighted enough to mark the very spot, only a
scratch of stone on stone, but we could see to read in that light. For
anchorage there was a tough, fair-sized shrub close to the wall.

"Now I'll climb up on you two again and go over first," said Terry.
"That'll hold the rope firm till you both get up on top. Then I'll go
down to the end. If I can get off safely, you can see me and follow--or,
say, I'll twitch it three times. If I find there's absolutely no
footing--why I'll climb up again, that's all. I don't think they'll kill
us."

From the top he reconnoitered carefully, waved his hand, and whispered,
"OK," then slipped over. Jeff climbed up and I followed, and we rather
shivered to see how far down that swaying, wavering figure dropped, hand
under hand, till it disappeared in a mass of foliage far below.

Then there were three quick pulls, and Jeff and I, not without a joyous
sense of recovered freedom, successfully followed our leader.

CHAPTER 4. Our Venture

We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge,
and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash
necks but for the vine. This was a thick-leaved, wide-spreading thing, a
little like Amphelopsis.

"It's not QUITE vertical here, you see," said Terry, full of pride and
enthusiasm. "This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think
if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands
and feet, we'll reach that next ledge alive."

"As we do not wish to get up our rope aga