“Oh, Dave, I’m so glad you didn’t get into a fight!” cried Jessie, her face showing momentary relief.
“While they are gone let us see if we can escape by way of the opening in the top of the closet,” suggested Roger.
“Hush, not so loud!” whispered Dave. “One of the gypsies or Nick Jasniff may still be in the corridor listening.”
“I’ll tell you what let’s do,” returned the senator’s son in an equally low voice. “Let the two girls stay here and do some pretty loud talking. That will cover up any noise that we may make in the closet. Then, if there is a chance to get out, we’ll have to lay a plan as to just how to do it.”
This suggestion was carried out, and the two girls began to talk hurriedly and in a loud tone of voice close to the door leading to the corridor. In the meantime, Dave and Roger went to the closet, and both made an investigation of the ceiling. Here, as stated before, one board was loose, and they soon managed to pry up another.
“Now boost me up, Roger, and I’ll investigate further,” said our hero.
Dave presently found himself in a dark place directly under the sloping roof of the bungalow. In its highest part, the roof was but four feet from the flooring, so he had to stoop as he felt his way around. He soon came to a sort of hatchway; the cover to this he raised cautiously. Below was a vacant room which had once been used as a bed-chamber. Around the opening where Dave stood was a mass of discarded household things and several packages of magazines which had evidently been brought up to the little garret-like opening by means of a ladder, but now the ladder was missing.
Our hero lit a match, and this brief illumination showed him several large bundles of magazines still tied together with some old rope. He quickly possessed himself of the rope, and found it still usable. Then he went back to the closet where Roger awaited him, and told of what he had discovered.
“Do you think we can make our escape that way?” questioned the senator’s son eagerly.
“I don’t know about that, Roger. We might try.”