The Jersey City news., 1902-09-23


through the thick underscrub Of laurel
and rhododendron and by slow degrees
and with immense caution reached at
last the waters edge beneath the tall
| trees whose branches shot out across
the stream. Here they halted, and
Desmond scanned the distance with
his eye.
"How do they get light and air into
the barn?" he asked the old jaeger.
Where are the wandowsg'
"There, at the edge of the roof, one
of noble birth! Look at the caves
against the sky. and you will see the
bars stick out in Places
Desmond slapped his leg Jjoyfully
'By gum" he whispered, 81 think L
have it! What sort of place is it in
side?"
"a jolly, old, smooth paved. empty
room at this time of year." said Hill
mar II well remember playing there
when l was a tiny child. The walls
, run up to the two windows Stefan
speaks Of. The rafters are bare. There
is no ceiling, only heavy slabs of stone
upon SlrOnS DealnS-
whats to prevent our fellows
! climbing up and working through
then?" demanded Desmond
you forget excellency. They are
bound The walls are smooth. The
windows are heavily barred"
"Humph Then what it wants is
friend on the roof who will file the
bars. get IN, cut their bonds and show
them how to climb up rope and on
to the roof"
"And thenY' said Hilmar breath
lessIy.
'Then! Why, back to the yacht again
and out to sea as hard as we can go.'
"But how can any one get on to the
roof? There is river to swim. The
walls are smooth and without single
crevice of hand hold. The drawbridge
is up at night. No one can enter ey-
cept under supervision"
II have my plan," said Desmond
hopefully. Its a desperate one al
low, but the case is desperate too.
What ! want is a good long rope, a
weight of some kind and a good file.
dare say my six shooter won't eor.c
amiss either. Now, you see this long
arm of the poplar. 1t stretches half
way across the stream. Suppose I
crawl out as far as l can and tie the
weight to the end of my rope. When
I get as far as 1 can without the bough
breaking, | begin to swing the cord
like pendulum till it flies out right
over the window bars. Then let it
drop foot or two, and it catches and
lodges in corner of the grating. l
shall pull it as tight as l can and there
you have the bridge / want"
"But-but you can't swing across a
thin rope like that"
"No, but can if it's a thick one, and
to come back across it. When get
on to the roof, can file the bars. drop
down into the prison, unite the others,
and then back we all troop through
the forest as hard as we can split.
Stefan says he's going to have the
yacht ready for US. How don't
know, but that's his affair. Before
morning we shall be 40 miles out into
the Baltic, and it's 20 to l on our elud-
ing any old ark they've got to send
after us. It's as simple as getting
shaved"
Hilmar and Stefan both shook their
heads. The proposal seemed so utter
ly crack Drained.
''Supposing the captain gets on to the
roof said the latter, "how does he
know he can file the bars? The SEN
tries will see him. He will only waste
his own life purposely. Why not wait
till they are brought out to travel
down to Osbrog?"
Because we shall be three to 30
then," answered Desmond How can
we attack half a company Of armed
soldiers? No; my plan is the only
feasible one"
Il can't let you," said Hilmar desper-
ately. st isn't honorable. Why should
you risk yourself for US? No; won't
permit it,
Desmond smiled quietly. 81 am go
ing. Miss IIilmar. Don't let us discuss
anything but the ways and means.
After all, if was taken we should be
no worse off than we are now"
"Much worse off," replied Hilmar,
because you, too, would be in the