Part 9 (1/2)
He slipped silently off the cot and crept over to Freddy's cot He held one hand ready to clap it over the English boy's mouth in case he woke up with a startled yell, and put his lips close to Freddy's ear
”Freddy, wake up!” he breathed, and shook the youth gently with his other hand
”I'm awake, Dave,” came the whispered reply ”Shall we try it now?”
”Yes,” Dave said ”The guard just took another look at us He won't again for awhile Have you been asleep?”
”Not a wink, Dave I couldn't, possibly Look, Dave You don't want to change your et to an A, you know”
”That's out!” Dave hissed ”Pipe down! Take off your shoes We can't riskears Okay, Freddy, let's go!”
Taking hold of the English youth's hand Dave led the way across the rooo, and took out his spoon screw driver and went to work on the one re screw The instant it was out he started to pry out the frae He sucked air into his aching lungs and then worked the end of the spoon into the side crack and used it as a lever Thestill didn'tunder his hand
He groaned softly
”The darn thing's stuck!” he whispered ”Swollen tight by the weather, I guess But Gee!”
”What's the ht whisper
Dave fuly
”There's a nail, here at the bottom,” he said ”I didn't see it, but I can feel it, now A while I bend it down flat
It's a thin one Then I think the ill slide over it”
Two long minutes later Dave had the nail pressed flat on the base board of the sill Then he applied pressure with the spoon again, and thebegan to move His face ith nervous sweat, and his whole body was tre fear and nervousness and stuck doggedly to his task Eventually he had worked theout enough so that he could get his fingers under one corner After that it was simple But, as he finally pulled the whole fraht on a splintered sliver of the sill The sliver snapped off with a sound that was as loud as a pistol shot in Dave's ears He froze stiff, ears straining for sounds of the guard in the hallway
There was no click of the bolt or rattling of the latch The sliver of wood snapping had not been heard Dave slowly released the craently lowered theframe down onto the floor and to the side where they would be sure not to hit it when they climbed out theThen he took hold of Freddy in the dark
”You first, because you're shorter, Freddy,” he whispered ”I'll make a fireman's step with my hands Put your foot in it and I'll boost you up
But for Pete's sake, be careful If we ive ers of his two hands together with the paled foot on it, and one hand on Dave's shoulder to steady hi his feet Dave slowly boosted the English youth up the wall As soon as Freddy had half his body through the openhe released the pressure of his foot on Dave's locked hands and squirmed the rest of the way up like a snake
”Get your feet out and then let yourself down by your hands,” Dave cautioned ”The roof shouldn't be more than a few inches under your toes But, watch out The darn thing slants down a bit, you know”
”I'll ht,” Freddy said and twisted around on the sill so that he was hanging on his stoh?”
”A cinch!” Dave whispered ”Don't wait for ht behind you Go ahead, Freddy”
Dave waited until he heard the soft thud of the English boy's feet touching the roof, then he grabbed hold of the sill with his hands and swiftly and silently hoisted his body upward For a brief instant he sat poised on the sill grinning back into the darkened room Then he swiveled over and lowered hiently sloping roof to its lip He pressed flat on his stoe of the roof Below hi but a sea of inky darkness For soh him
”Freddy!” he whispered
”Here, Dave,” caround and to your left It's all clear down here The ground's soft Come on down”
”Here I cohtly down onto the ground