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246 others, and in half an hour he could raise the solid piece of wood. A breath of the fresh night air came to him.

"No glass in it," he exclaimed softly. "That's good. Now to get away and show up at the dinner. I hope they didn't get any other fellows. They haven't brought any more here, that's sure."

He listened at the door a moment.

"I wish some of our fellows would come back," he heard one of the guards saying.

"Yes, it's lonesome here. I wonder if Parsons is still there?"

"Sure he is. How could he get away?"

"That's so. He couldn't."

"Wait a bit," whispered Tom.

He again mounted the chairs, and pulling himself up by the edge of the opening, after fastening up the shutter, he prepared to crawl through and drop down outside.

"I hope it isn't much of a fall and that the ground is soft," he murmured.

Just then he heard a commotion in front of the shack.

"They're bringing up some more of our class," he reasoned. "Maybe I can help 'em. Had I better stay in?" He was undecided, and he remained on the edge of the window, partly inside and partly outside the shanty. He heard the door open, and looking back in the semi-darkness, saw that a