yond
our reach.

However, as Tom magniloquently quoted, difficulties were only made for
brave men--or boys--to surmount. By lifting one of the forms as quietly
as we could close to the window, and standing on this, the two of us
managed to raise the iron bar from the catch and let it swing down,
although the hinges made a terrible creaking noise in the operation,
which we thought would waken Dr Hellyer up. However, on going to the
door to listen again, we heard him still snoring, so we then proceeded
to unfasten the window, letting in the cold night air, that made us
shiver as it blew into the room from the sea.

It was quite dark when we got outside into the balcony, although we
could see a star or two faintly glimmering overhead; while away to the
westward, across the common, the red light at the pier-head marking the
entrance to the harbour was visible.

Like most watering-places in the "dead season," everybody went to bed
early in the terrace; so that, although it could have been barely ten
o'clock, not a light was to be seen from the windows of the neighbouring
houses.

"Just the night for a burglary!" said Tom with a snigger, on our
cautiously looking round us to see if the coast was clear.

"Yes," I chimed in, joyously, "only, we are going to burgle out, instead
of breaking in;" and we then both had a hearty chuckle at this little
joke.

Still, no time was to be lost, now that we had got so far. The next
thing, therefore, to do, was to descend the balcony; and, here, my
happily-thought-of rope ladder came in handily to deliver us from
durance vile.

Knotting it securely to the top rail of the balustrade, I gave it a
strong tug or two to test its strength, making the balcony shake and
tremble with the strain.

"Do you think it will bear our weight?" asked Tom, anxiously, noticing
me do this and feeling the vibratory movement.

"Bear our weight, you shrimp," I rejoined, "why, it would hold forty of
us, and Dr Hellyer too!"

At this we both sniggered again, suppressing our merriment, however, for
fear of being overheard; and then, drawing-to the shutter inside as
close as I could, so that it should not show too plainly the fact of its
being unbarred, and closing the window itself, which was a much easier
task, we prepared to slide down to the pavement below.

"I had better go first," I said to Tom, "I'm the heaviest; so, if I
reach the ground all right, there'll be no fear of the rope giving way
w