The Adventures of Don Lavington Part 27

This simplified matters.

"Stand fast, Jem," cried Don, and taking a spring, he landed upon his companion's broad back, leap-frog fas.h.i.+on, 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 hold fast, and step up on to my shoulders as I rise myself up; that's the way," he continued, slowly straightening himself, and placing his hands behind Don's legs, as he stood up, steadily, facing the wall.

"What next, Jem?"

"Next, sir? Why, I'm going to walk slowly back under the window, for you to try and open it, and look out and see where we are. Ready?"

"Yes."

"Hold tight, sir."

"But there's nothing to hold by, Jem, when you move away."

"Then you must stand fast, sir, and I'll balance you like. I can do it."

Don drew a long breath, and felt no faith, for as soon as Jem moved steadily from the wall, his ability in balancing was not great.

"Stand firm, sir. I've got you," he said.

"Am I too heavy, Jem?"

"Heavy? No, sir; I could carry two on you. Stand fast; 'tarn't far.

Stand fast. That's your sort. Stand--oh!"

Everything depended upon him, and poor Jem did his best; but after three or four steps Don felt that he was going, and to save himself from a fall he tried to jump lightly down.

This would have been easy enough had not Jem been so earnest. He, too, felt that it was all wrong, and to save his companion, he tightened his hold of the calves of Don's legs as the lad stood erect on his shoulders.

The consequence was that he gave Don sufficient check as he leaped to throw him off his balance; and in his effort to save him, Jem lost his own, and both came down with a crash and sat up and rubbed and looked at each other.

"Arn't hurt, are you, Mas' Don?"

"Not hurt?" grumbled Don. "I am hurt horribly."

"I'm very sorry, sir; so am I. But I arn't broke nowhere! Are you?"

"Broken? No!" said Don rising. "There, let's try again."

"To be sure, sir. Come, I like that."

"Look here, Jem. When you straighten up, let me steady myself with my hands on the sloping ceiling there; now try."

The former process was gone through, after listening to find all silent below; and Don stood erect once more, supporting himself by the wall.

"Now edge round gently, Jem. That's right."

Jem obeyed, and by progressing very slowly, they got to within about ten feet of the window, which Don saw that he could reach easily, when the balance was lost once more.

"Don't hold, Jem!" cried Don; and he leaped backwards, to come down all right this time.

By no means discouraged, they went back to the end; and this time, by progressing more slowly, the window was reached, and, to their great delight, Don found that it was fastened inside, opening outwards by means of a couple of hinges at the highest end, and provided with a ratchet, to keep it open to any distance required.

"Can you bear me if I try to open it, Jem?"

"Can I? Ah!"

Jem was a true bearer, standing as fast as a small elephant as Don opened the window, and then supporting himself by a beam which ran across the opening, thrust out his head and surveyed the exterior.

He was not long in making out their position--in the top floor of a warehouse, the roof sloping, so that escape along it was impossible, while facing him was the blank wall of a higher building, evidently on the other side of a narrow alley. Don looked to right, but there was no means of making their position known so as to ask for help. To the left he was no better off, and seeing that the place had been well chosen as a temporary lock-up for the impressed men, Don prepared to descend.

"Better shut the window fust, Mas' Don."

The suggestion was taken, and then Don leaped down and faced his fellow-prisoner, repeating the information he had roughly communicated before.

"Faces a alley, eh?" said Jem. "Can't we go along the roof."

"I don't believe a cat could go in safety, Jem."

"Well, we aren't cats, Mas' Don, are we? Faces a alley, eh? Wasn't there no windows opposit'?"

"Nothing but a blank wall."

"Well, it's all right, Mas' Don. We'd better set to work. Only wants a rope with one end fastened in here, and then we could slide down."

"Yes," said Don gloomily; "the window is unfastened, and the way clear, but where's the rope?"

"There," said Jem, and he pointed to the end of the loft.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

WORKING UNDER DIFFICULTIES.

"There. Those sacks?"

"That's it, Mas' Don. I've got my knife. You got yourn?"

"Yes."