Tom Cartwright, after showing us his head, next proceeded to manifest that he possessed a body and a complete set of limbs, by hoisting himself through the trap and standing upright on the roof. “I’ve been mending a window,” he explained, “and saw you go up the staircase, although you didn’t see me.” “How are we to get it down?” asked Harry despondingly, pointing to his flag. Tom jerked and pulled the ropes for some little time, and at length gave it as his opinion that nothing short of “climbin’ would do it.” “Look here, Tom,” said Harry desperately, “if you’ll climb up and get those things down, I’ll give you all the money I have--fifty cents.” “And I’ll give you ten cents,” chimed in Jack, putting a grubby little hand in his pocket and pulling out the sum in question. “I don’t want your money, Master Harry,” said the gardener sturdily, “and if I did, I don’t think I could earn it, as I doubt if this pole ’u’d bear me now. I’m heavier than I was a year ago, and the pole’s not so tough.” “Oh, it’ll bear you,” said Harry. “You see Tom, I don’t want father to know anything about this.” Tom smiled grimly as he proceeded to take off his coat and boots. “I’ll try it, Master Harry,” he said, getting up and shaking the staff by way of testing its bearing properties. “‘Never say die’ is my motto, so here goes.” With these words the gardener commenced his ascent of the staff, which began to tremble violently beneath his weight. We three clustered at its foot, watching the climber’s movements with hard-drawn breath and straining eyes, for it was no light task that Cartwright had set himself to accomplish. Up, up, up, he went, with the skill of a practiced climber, never pausing and never looking down. In order to find out whether he was observed, Harry ran to the parapet and looked over. “Why, there’s quite a crowd of people there!” he exclaimed, starting back, “and--and--yes, I can see father among them.” I took a hasty glance over the parapet myself, and noticed that all the people in the neighborhood were hastening out of their houses in order to get a better view of the intrepid climber. From the point where I looked over, the tower went sheer down to the ground, without a break of any kind. “Tom has reached the top!” sang out Harry, while I was still gazing at the people below. I hastened back to the foot of the staff, and perceived that the gardener was rapidly disengaging the line of ties and handkerchiefs from the rope. The staff was trembling violently, and so I suggested to Harry that we three should hold it by its stem, since we might, in that way, be able to steady it in a measure. So we all seized it, and, as subsequent events proved, it was very fortunate that we did so, for just as Tom had unfastened Harry’s flag and adjusted the line in its proper place, the staff gave a loud crack.