"It won't be hard," said Jim, "if we can find a rope around here, and I think we can."
"If we do, we will keep enough to hang the captain with," said Berwick grimly.
"There's a souvenir hanging from the chimney," said Jim with a grin.
"Better leave that for Santa Claus," remarked the engineer thoughtfully.
"Santa Claus doesn't come to California," replied James; "they don't have Christmas weather here."
"Get lost in the fog, that's a fact," remarked Berwick.
"Come," cried Jim, "let us find some rope."
Down the stairs they went, and it did not take them long to discover a tar-hued rope coiled in one of the empty feed bins.
"Here's our treasure," said Berwick; "it belongs to the old sea dog evidently. I suppose you want me to hold it, while you climb gracefully down."
"Hardly," mocked Jim. "I'd land so suddenly that it would drive my heels into my head. Here's a sliding window at the back here. Let's see how it looks below."