I shook my head.

"We cannot get down to it," I said, measuring the distance to the
beam and the depth below it, and shivering.

"Marie says we can, with a short rope," Croisette replied. His
eyes were glistening with excitement.

"But we have no rope!" I retorted. I was dull--as usual. Marie
made no answer. Surely he was the most stolid and silent of
brothers. I turned to him. He was taking off his waistcoat and
neckerchief.

"Good!" I cried. I began to see now. Off came our scarves and
kerchiefs also, and fortunately they were of home make, long and
strong. And Marie had a hank of four-ply yarn in his pocket as
it turned out, and I had some stout new garters, and two or three
yards of thin cord, which I had brought to mend the girths, if
need should arise. In five minutes we had fastened them
cunningly together.

"I am the lightest," said Croisette.

"But Marie has the steadiest head," I objected. We had learned
that long ago--that Marie could walk the coping-stones of the
battlements with as little concern as we paced a plank set on the
ground.

"True," Croisette had to admit. "But he must come last, because
whoever does so will have to let himself down."