gazed at it. "Escape!" he thought. "The roof is flat. I see myself climbing out to fresh air and zephyrs!" And dropping the scarf he instantly posted out in quest of a ladder which he had seen in the garden, evidently used for gathering papaias.
As he came back with the ladder on his shoulder, Moto came out of the kitchen with a plate of bread. He stared dubiously. "What you make now?" he inquired.
"Wait and you'll see," answered Dick, and went on into the bedroom with the ladder. He set it up against the frame of the skylight and went up with all of the enthusiasm of a small boy who has succeeded in circumventing someone and gotten his own way after all. However, as he reached the hatch, there came a pause. The thing was fastened down with a hasp and a padlock, both rusty from long disuse. Dick climbed down with gritted teeth and a set chin. Out he went to the store-room and routed out a number of rusty keys and returned to try them out without success.
Presently he appeared in the kitchen door again. "Moto, have you any flat keys anywhere?" he asked.
Moto shook his head. "No. No more key. House key, garage key, thas all."
"Well," said Dick firmly; "you go over next door and tell them that I want the key to the skylight in my room."
Moto hesitated and looked anxiously at the stove.
