“So far so good,” exclaimed Darry, as he walked over to examine the tower. “Now if we can only get to the ground from here we’ll be all right.” “There must be another stairway to the lower floor, Darry.” “To be sure, and it’s likely in the tower. Come on.” Without much difficulty they crawled to the tower in question. Here they found another trap door, but it was tightly fastened and although they did their best they could not budge it. “Stumped again,” grumbled Darry. “Did you ever see such luck?” “I know what I’m going to do!” exclaimed Sam, suddenly. “I’m going to climb down on the vines. I am sure they are strong enough.” “Just the thing! Why didn’t we think of it before.” They ran over to the edge of the tower and began to test the vines. Then Sam let himself down a few feet and Darry did the same. Soon they were moving downward, slowly and cautiously. “There goes that volante again!” cried Darry, presently. “But it didn’t have the captain in it.” “Let us get away as quickly as we can,” came from Sam. “If we don’t we may run into more trouble.” “Hi, you boys, come back here!” was the cry which reached their ears. “Come back, I say!” In amazement, both looked up. There on the tower stood Captain Sudlip, shaking his fist at them! CHAPTER XI A STRANGE STORY It was plain to see that Captain Jason Sudlip was as much surprised as were Sam and Darry. He had returned in the _volante_ expecting to find the two prisoners just where he had left them. Seeing them thus escaping upset all of his calculations. “Come back here, I say!” he stormed. “Come back!” “Not much!” replied Darry. “If you want us, crawl down after us.” “Don’t tell him that!” put in Sam, in a whisper. “He’ll go below and try to cut us off.” “Are you coming back?” demanded the ex-master of the _Chester_. “Wait a minute until I unloosen my jacket,” returned Sam. “It’s caught fast on a vine.” “Gracious, you’re not going back, are you?” whispered Darry, in dismay. “No--we’ll fool him,” said Sam, in a still lower voice. Then he continued aloud: “We may as well give in, Darry, he’s got the best of us.” “I hate to do it, but I’ll follow you,” answered Darry, also in a loud voice. “Will you climb up first?” “Yes. But I’m caught fast. Wait till I cut that vine loose.” This talk reached Captain Sudlip’s ears--as it was intended it should--and his wrathful look gave place to a grim smile. “Thought I’d make ’em knuckle under,” he muttered. In the meantime Sam and Darry continued to climb down with all speed. It was hard for Captain Sudlip to look down at them but he felt the vines moving. He waited a few seconds. Then he heard a dull thud as both boys dropped to the ground below. “Hi! you!” he yelled, and his face changed instantly. “Aren’t you coming up? Well, I’ll be jiggered!” For at that moment he caught sight of the two boys, hurrying down the road leading away from the old convent. They were going at their best rate of speed and soon disappeared from view.