He sat down on the bed again and strove to think of some better scheme. He wondered why Perkins had not heard him knocking off the screen and concluded that the stableman was in the front of the building. Or perhaps he was at his dinner! If he could only get out of the room now it was likely he could escape from the stable without being detected. There, however, was the rub. There was no way to get out of the room save by the window, and by the time he had made his rope of the mattress ticking Perkins would be back. He viewed the door darkly. If only it opened outward instead of into the room he might batter it down with the bed slat!
He went to the window again and looked out. To climb down was impossible, since there was nothing to put hand or foot on. By chance he looked along the wall to the left. Not three feet away was another window! If he could reach that, gain the next room and so get out into the hall, he was sure he could win to freedom! He leaned as far out as he dared, and, to his joy, saw that the next window was open at the bottom. In a minute he had laid his plans. Squirming back into the room, he seized his slat and began a new attack on the screen. It was necessary to work through the upper part of the window and from a chair, and he tried to make as little noise as possible. The screen proved more stubborn than before, and Sam’s efforts to be quiet made it slow work. But in the end only one staple remained. He had only to get that out, seize the screen before it fell, and lift it into the room. He paused to get his breath, and in that moment he heard the sound of footsteps on the stairs!
He pushed the window sashes back as they had been, slipped the slat under the bed, removed the chair from in front of the window, put the tray on it, and threw himself on the bed just as a knock came at the door. He made no answer until Perkins spoke.
“Eh? What?” asked Sam sleepily. “Oh, that you, Perkins? What’s wanted?”
“I’m after the tray, sir.” The key turned and Perkins opened the door cautiously.
“I’d rather you’d hand it to me,” replied Perkins dubiously, realizing that if he crossed the room for the tray Sam could easily slip out of the door.
Sam considered. He didn’t want the stableman to notice the screen, now hanging bent and awry at the window, and so the only thing to do was to get him out as soon as possible. Sam arose, grumbling.