the holes.

"Now give me the auger," Hector said when it was found that the
hole was large enough for the saw to pass through.

"I will begin at the bottom of the panel while you saw away at the
top."

Paolo had done his share by the time the holes along the bottom
were ready for the saw.

"Now you take the auger again," Hector said. "We have not done
half our work yet. The holes must be made on each side. There is
no turning the saw."

It took them an hour and a half of hard work before the last cut
was completed and the panel fell forward.

"You go in first, Paolo. I will follow you, and will wedge the
panel into its place again with some of the chips that the auger
has cut out. No one has passed since we began, and if anyone did
come along before morning he would not be likely to notice that
the panel was gone. Still it is as well to avoid all risk."

As soon as the panel was replaced they mounted the stairs. Before
beginning they had seen that there were no lights in any of the
windows, and feeling sure that the house was deserted they groped
their way upstairs without hesitation until they reached the
attics in the sloping roof. They entered one of these facing the
street, opened the casement, in which oiled paper took the place