"O, it will not do any good to go up stairs," said Nathan. "It would kill us to jump out the window." "I know we can't jump out the window," said Rollo, "but perhaps we can find out some way to get down. O, there is a ladder; I remember now, Nathan, there is a ladder. We can get down from the window by the ladder." "I shall be afraid to go down the ladder," said Nathan. "O no," said Rollo, "I will go first, and see if it is safe." By this time they had reached the barn chamber. There was a window in it, with glass, over the great barn door; but Rollo could not get it open. He told Nathan that, if he could only get it open, and could find a long pole, he could reach it down, and knock the fid out, and so open the great doors. But, with all his efforts, he could not raise the window. There was another window, which had no glass, but was closed by a wooden shutter, which opened upon hinges like a door. Rollo said he meant to open this window. Now, it happened that this window was upon that side of the barn which was exposed to the wind and storm; and, the moment that Rollo had pushed open the shutter a little way, the wind forced it instantly from his hand, and slammed it back against the side of the barn, with great violence. It almost pulled Rollo himself out of the window. Nathan looked frightened. Rollo himself looked somewhat astonished at such an unexpected effect; but presently said,-- "Well, Nathan, I rather think that, if you had had hold of that shutter, you would have thought that air was a real thing." "O, that was the _wind_, Rollo; that was the _wind_," said Nathan. Rollo did not answer, but went to the ladder, which was standing up against the hay-loft. It was a pretty long, but yet a very light ladder; and Rollo and Nathan succeeded, after some difficulty, in getting it down, and in running the end out of the window. When the lower end reached the ground, the upper end was two or three feet above the bottom of the window; so that Rollo could easily get upon it to descend. The wind and storm, which raged with great violence, were somewhat terrifying; but he knew that the ladder was secure, the upper part being confined in the window; and so he resolutely descended. When he had fairly reached the ground, he looked up, with an expression of great satisfaction upon his countenance, and said,-- "There! now, Nathan, for your turn." But Nathan was afraid to venture; and Rollo himself was half afraid to have him make the attempt. While they were standing in this perplexity, Rollo heard a voice behind him, calling out,-- "Rollo." Rollo turned, and saw Dorothy standing by the door. "What are you doing, Rollo?" said Dorothy. "I am trying to get Nathan out of the barn," said Rollo. "How came he in the barn?" said Dorothy. "Why, Jonas locked us in, and I had to come down the ladder; but Nathan is afraid, and I can't get him out." "Why don't you go to the door, and let him right out?"