I couldn't get on my hat."

"It does not matter, Jem," said Don, quietly. "You have no hat."

"More I haven't. I remember feeling it come off, and it wasn't half
wore out. Have some more coffee, Mas' Don. 'Tarnt so good as my Sally
makes. I'd forgot all about her just then. Wonder whether she's eating
her breakfast?"

Don sighed and went on eating. He was horribly low-spirited, but his
youthful appetite once started, he felt the need of food, and kept on in
silence, passing and receiving the cup till all was gone.

"That job's done," said Jem, placing the jug on the plate, and the cup
in the mouth of the jug. "Now then, I'm ready, Mas' Don. You said
escape, didn't you, sir?"

"Yes. What shall we do?"

"Well, we can't go down that way, sir, because the trap-door's bolted."

"There is the window, Jem."

"Skylights, you mean, sir," said Jem, looking up at the sloping panes in
the roof. "Well, let's have a look. Will you get a-top o' my
shoulders, or shall I get a-top o' yourn?"

"I couldn't bear you, Jem."

"Then up you gets, my lad, like the tumblers do at the fair."

It seemed easy enough to get up and stand on the sturdy fellow's
shoulders, but upon putting it to the test, Don found it very hard, and
after a couple of failures he gave up, and they stood together looking
up at the sloping window, which was far beyond their reach.

"Dessay it's fastened, so that we couldn't open it," said Jem.

"The fox said the grapes were sour when he could not get at them, Jem."

"That's true, Mas' Don. Well, how are we to get up?"

They looked round the loft, but, with the exception of the old sacking
lying at one end, the place was bare.

"Here, come to the end, Jem, and let me have another try," said Don.

"Right, sir; come on," cried Jem; and going right to the end of the
loft, he bent his body a little and leaned his hands against the wall.

This simplified matters.

"Stand fast, Jem," cried Don, and taking a spring, he landed upon his
companion's broad back, leap-frog fashion, but only to jump off again.

"What's the matter, Mas' Don?"

"Only going to take off my shoes."

"Ah, 'twill be better. I didn't grumble before, but you did hurt, sir."

Don slipped off his shoes, uttered a word or two of warning, and once
more mounted on Jem's back. It was easy then to get into a kneeling,
and then to a standing, position, the wall being at hand to steady him.

"That's your sort, Mas' Don. Now h