“You lock us up and you’ll get nothing out of us!” growled Japson.  “We can ruin your family, and we’ll do it!”

“Can’t we get out another way?” asked Josiah Crabtree, in a whisper.

“I don’t think so,” said the owner of the house.  “We can go up and look around.”

All returned to the garret floor and walked to one window and the other.  The distance to the ground was all of twenty-five feet, too far for any of them to risk a drop.

“We might make a rope of these old blankets,” suggested Jesse Pelter.  “Talk to Rover at the door while I try it.”

His partner went back to the door, while the others commenced to make a rope by tearing a blanket into strips and tying the ends together.  The back window was raised and the rope lowered.

“Nobody in sight!” cried Crabtree, looking down.  “Oh, I trust we can get away from them!” He saw a term in prison staring him in the face.

“Don’t lose any time!” cried Japson.  “Here, tie the end fast to that old bed.  Now let me get out!”

“I’ll go first!” cried Josiah Crabtree, and shoved the broker aside.  With trembling hands he grasped the improvised rope and slipped out of the window.

In the meantime Dick commenced to suspect that all was not right and called to Tom.

“Go below and outside and look at those windows,” he said.  “If they try to drop, shy some stones at ’em!”

“I will!” answered Tom, and ran down the stairs three steps at a time.  He looked up at the front of the house but saw nothing unusual.  Then he dashed to the rear.

“Hi! stop!” he called out, as he saw Josiah Crabtree dangling just under the garret window.  “Get back there, or I’ll fire at you!” And looking around, Tom saw a sharp stone and picked it up.

As he did this there was a sudden tearing sound, and the blanket-rope parted at the point where it passed over the window sill.  Josiah Crabtree uttered a wild yell of terror and clutched vainly at the sill and the clapboards under it.  Then he came tumbling to the ground, doubling up in a heap as he did so.  Tom expected him to arise and run, but he lay still where he had fallen.

“He’s hurt, seriously hurt!” muttered the youth.  “Maybe he’s killed!”

CHAPTER XXV

 What happened to Tom

Tom glanced up, to see the white face of Jesse Pelter peering down upon him.

“You had better let us out of this!” cried the broker, hoarsely.

“You stay where you are—­ if you know, what is best for you!” returned Tom.

“Is he dead?” went on the broker, referring to Crabtree.

“I don’t know.”

The youth ran up to the former school teacher and turned him over.  As he did this Josiah Crabtree gave a gasp and a groan and opened his eyes.

“Oh!  Oh! what a—­ a fa—­ fall!”

“If you hadn’t tried to get away it wouldn’t have happened,” returned Tom, briefly.  He could have but little sympathy for such a hardened rascal.