“We’ll square up with him when we get down,” answered Chub with a grim smile of anticipation. In two or three minutes Dick was back, dragging the ladder after him. He placed it against the house under the window and they viewed the result. It lacked at least ten feet of reaching the sill. “That’s no good,” said Chub. “Isn’t there a longer one anywhere? Have you looked?” “Yes, Exalted One.” “I say, don’t be so funny! Do you think we want to be arrested for burglary and have to spend the night in jail? Can’t you think of anything?” “Certainly.” “Well, what is it? Now, don’t you crack any more funny jokes or we’ll make you sorry when we get down.” Dick looked up speculatingly. “Maybe you have some such idea in your head already?” he asked. “I believe you have. Now before I go on with this heroic rescue you’ve got to agree, both of you, to let me laugh as much as I like. Do you agree?” “Yes.” “Honest Injun?” “Honest Injun, Dickums. Go ahead, like a good fellow, and get us out of here.” “All right. I’ve got a piece of rope here; see?” He took it from under his coat and held it up. “I’ll tie this to the top of the ladder and throw it up to you. Then you haul the ladder up and make the rope fast to something in the room. That’ll leave the ladder only about ten feet from the ground. You can drop that distance easily.” “Good old Dickums! You’re the right sort.” CHAPTER X A NEW ACQUAINTANCE It was a beautiful evening. In the west the sunset glow still hung above the hills. Eastward the full moon’s great, golden disk was poised against the darkening blue of the summer sky. It was very still and quiet, and the only sounds that came to them were the soft _pat-pat_ of their shoes on the dusty road. When half the distance to the house-boat had been covered they slowed down to a walk, panting and puffing. “What--are we going--to do--when we get--there?” asked Dick. “Have some supper,” said Chub, decisively. “But we can’t stay where we are. When he finds that we’ve skipped out, he will be as mad as a hornet and will come down here looking for us.” “Pshaw, I don’t think he believed a word we said about being in a boat,” said Chub. “Besides, he’s just as likely to look up the river as down.” “And just as likely to look down as up,” replied Roy. “I guess Dick’s right we’d better move on.” “All right, then, we will; just as soon as we’ve had something to eat,” agreed Chub. “If we wait for that our supper is likely to consist of bread and water,” answered Roy, dryly. “What we want to do is to get across to the other side of the river. I never thought I’d be glad to get to New Jersey, but the time has come.” “That isn’t Jersey over there, it’s New York,” said Chub. “Anyway, it’s a heap better than the calaboose,” laughed Dick. “Was that wheels I heard?” They stopped and listened, but the only sound that reached them was the distant barking of a dog. “Carlo!” said Chub.