“Good head you have, Jimmie boy,” approved Terry. “Never thought it of you. Let’s park them behind these bushes, close to the porch.”
When the two boys had stowed the overcoats away so that there was no likely chance that they would be found, they returned to the foot of the tree and Terry gave Jim a boost as far up the tapering trunk as he could. From his shoulders Jim began his climb and stuck doggedly to it until he reached a small limb below the level of the tin roof. Then he called down for Terry to follow him.
His friend had a much harder job of it because he had to start from the ground but he moved slowly and surely upward. It was some years since Terry had “shinnied” up a tree and he found it hard work, but, resting at intervals, he soon joined Jim at the small limb. Without words they moved on, and before long wormed their way out on a limb that hung suspended over the roof.
“Be awfully careful when you drop on that roof,” whispered Jim. “Try to land on your toes and don’t thump if you can help it.”
Jim then swung down under the limb, hanging by his hands, and measured the distance to the roof. It was a matter of less than a foot, he discovered, and with his toes pointing downward he let go and dropped. There was scarcely a sound as he landed.
“Come on,” he whispered.
Terry swung down under the limb and after a moment of steadying himself dropped to the roof. Jim steadied him as he landed and they stood together on the tin surface and looked around.
“Hooray, a partially opened window!” breathed Jim.
Close to them a window had been left open some few inches and they made their way to it quietly. Both of them felt a tingle of excitement.
“We’ll want to get into the upper hall, if possible,” said Terry, guardedly. “Let’s hope this isn’t a bedroom. What does it look like?”