“They all seem determined enough to me,” said Ben, dryly. “And I think it’s time for us to take some steps to meet them. It will be no great while now before we have that short musket and those pistols looking in our faces.”
Once more the candle was lighted and the two boys looked about the room carefully. There were six windows in all; two of these overlooked the roof in the rear from which the landlord had entered; two were at the front with the porch roof directly underneath.
“They can come upon us as easily from the front as the rear,” said Ben. “These two windows on the side,” going to them, candle in hand, “overlook the yard which we crossed in going to the barn.”
Paddy Burk peered out at one of these.
“It’s not much of a drop to the ground,” said he, recklessly.
“There is a stone pavement which might serve to cripple us,” said Ben. “Now these,” and he bent forward, “might help us to avoid an injury.”
So saying he picked up a number of long straps from the floor. They were the same that the landlord had brought, apparently with a view to trussing them up; and when he had fallen under the pistol butt he had dropped them.
“The luck,” quoth Paddy, “is with us to-night. Sure, here we are with the way of escape placed at our hands by the very blackguard that would be the first to send a shot after us.”
Carefully knotting the straps together, they fastened one end to a rafter, the other they dropped out at a window; then they collected their belongings and prepared to depart. After they had extinguished the candle, they stood for a moment, listening; there were careful footsteps below and the sound of a door opening and closing.
“They are making ready,” said Ben, in a whisper.