Watchmen patrolling around the upper or lower tier of cells, or rooms, could at any time see the entire inside of each, as they walked by. The outer doors of the dormitory closed with strong and intricate locks, of a peculiar pattern. Beyond these were other doors, with watchmen, and beyond all was the open parade-ground inclosure and its high stone wall. Beyond this was the chilling, rushing, impassable tide of the deep and pitiless East River. No boy could hope to get out from one of those sleeping cells and into the city,--into liberty and the world until the appointed time should come for him. The dormitory was as still as still could be, that night, when Jim lay upon his bed and thought of it all, and he grew bitter at heart with the seeming impossibility of even getting a chance to try Whether or not he could climb the outer wall. “I’m about the best climber on the training ship, when they send us into the rigging,” he said to himself. “I could go up on a rope or anything. If I could have some of the other fellows with me! Some things I guess I couldn’t do alone. I don’t want any but plucky fellows and good climbers. I don’t belong here. I never did it and I’ve been here long enough. I’m going to get out, if I can.--There, he’s just gone by.” That meant the passage of a watchman, on his patrol, and Jim obeyed a strong, angry impulse, to jump out of bed and stare after him through the grated door of his cage. “It’s just like what they put wild animals in, in a menagerie,” he thought, fiercely, as his fingers griped the slim, but strong steel rods. O!--How he wanted to break out! He drew back, a moment, and then he threw himself, with all his might, against the grating. He did not care if it hurt him. He was so sore inside that it almost felt good to be pained a little, outside. Click! “What was that?--What?--The door is open?--What have I done?--I couldn’t have broken it!” That was so. Every rod in the grating near him and in the door, was perfectly sound and whole, and yet,--he could hardly believe his eyes,--the door of his cage was now standing ajar, as if inviting him to push it open wider and walk out into the roomy corridor. He did so, but it was very much as if it were all a dream. Jim’s first feeling was a strong sense of exhilaration, for one of the barriers he had been thinking of had unexpectedly given way. It was such a strong barrier, too, with its steel gratings and its lock. He turned and stared at his open door and empty bedroom and he came near exclaiming aloud: “How did it happen?” He knew the door had been shut as carefully as usual by the officer who had been in charge of the boys when they marched into the dormitory. He examined the look.