His last words reminded Jack of the fact that they were now faced by another knotty problem. If the door was locked and the key safe in the possession of the gruff old general below, how then could they take the child away?
He knew it would be utterly impossible to get her to the other window by means of that ledge; for the task had been difficult enough when both hands were free.
But evidently resourceful Tom had already conceived a plan for he was busying himself with the cot from which Helene had so recently arisen and now called to Jack.
Close by the child could be heard moving about, as her nimble little fingers secured first one article of apparel and then another, spurred on by the wild hope of once more seeing her dearly beloved sister.
Jack, pushing forward, found his chum had turned the cot over, and seemed to be working swiftly at something.
"What have you found, Tom?" he asked
"As luck would have it, Jack, this cot has a rope under the mattress in place of the usual spring. And it seems to be a good stout rope in the bargain, I'm glad to tell you."
"Now I get you, Tom! Good! We can slip down that way."
"If the rope turns out to be long enough, I
