Moving carefully on the steep roof, the girls made fast the rope, then Terry let herself to the eaves and looked over. It was a long drop to safety, for the rear of the house was built above a ravine, with only a narrow ledge of rock for a foothold. Yet escape from the front was impossible. Joe Heron might come out of the door and seize them.
“Are you game to try it?” asked Terry.
“I’m scared already, but I’ll go through with it,” Prim replied.
“I’m scared too. But it’s the only way,” said Terry.
“You’re never scared when you’re flying,” answered Prim. “You do loops and side-slips and all kinds of stunts, and you never seem to worry.”
“That’s different. In a plane I feel safe. I guess it’s because I’m a born flyer. Come on, Prim, let’s go!”
“Wait, Terry. We must go down hand over hand. Let’s tie knots in the rope for a hand hold.”
“Of course. Wasn’t I stupid to forget that!” Hastily the girls tied big knots at intervals, then let the rope down at the rear of the house. It seemed like a terrible distance to the ledge, and the ravine below it was dark and terrifying. Prim gasped:
“Oh, Terry. Let’s turn back. If you lose your grip, you’ll be killed.”
But for answer Terry swung off, over the eaves and began letting herself down, hand over hand. Without the knots she would have been lost and even as it was, the pain in her hands was terrible, but in a minute her feet touched the ground, and she gave a low whistle as a signal for Prim.