"Be awfully careful when you drop on that roof," whispered Jim. "Try to land on your toes and don't thump if you can help it."
Jim then swung down under the limb, hanging by his hands, and measured the distance to the roof. It was a matter of less than a foot, he discovered, and with his toes pointing downward he let go and dropped. There was scarcely a sound as he landed.
Terry swung down under the limb and after a moment of steadying himself dropped to the roof. Jim steadied him as he landed and they stood together on the tin surface and looked around.
"Hooray, a partially opened window!" breathed Jim.
Close to them a window had been left open some few inches and they made their way to it quietly. Both of them felt a tingle of excitement.
"We'll want to get into the upper hall, if possible," said Terry, guardedly. "Let's hope this isn't a bedroom. What does it look like?"
Jim was in the lead and he peered into the room, finally raising the window noiselessly in order to see better. He turned to his waiting friend.
"It doesn't seem to be a bedroom," he informed him. "Looks more like some kind of a study. I can see a table and an armchair, and a little light comes in from the hall. I guess this is just the kind of a room we are looking for."
"Then let's get in and go a-snooping," urged Terry.
Jim raised the window fully and stepped into the room, Terry following closely at his heels. They paused to make out their surroundings, when Terry gripped Jim's arm tightly.
Before Jim could move someone stepped out of the closet and confronted them. For a single instant there was a silence that froze them, and then the light from the hall fell on the features of the one who stared at them.
A sigh of pure relief broke from the one who had stepped out of the closet. "Boy, oh boy," Don returned. "You two fellows scared me out of a year's growth!"
"You gave us a mighty good start, too," returned Terry as they moved close to him. "What are you doing in here?"
"Yes, it was in that closet. Listen, we have got to get out of here. The two Gates--"
A cry broke out on the third floor and a door slammed. They waited to hear no more.
"Quickly, out the window with you," cried Don. "We've got to clear this house on the double!"