and in despair he was dragging out his
hands, for the wind roared louder than ever, pressing him down against
the structure with tremendous force. But all at once his hands were set
free, for the slight raising of the shutter had been sufficient for the
wind to get beneath, and with a rush it was swept by his face, just
grazing his chin. There was a tremendous clap, and it was closed, while
the boy thought of nothing but holding on as the wind once again pressed
him against the building.

And now for a few moments he lost nerve, and clung desperately, feeling
as if he must be plucked from his feeble hold and dashed down into the
yard. Hammer and nails were forgotten, and he pressed his forehead
against the woodwork, while the confusion caused by the roaring of the
wind seemed to increase.

Then it was as if a great nerve communicating with safety had been
touched, for he felt the rope jerked along sidewise, till it was in the
jagged opening at the bottom left-hand corner of the broken shutter.

The feeling was electric, and sent a thrill through the boy.

"I'm all right, I can't fall," he muttered; and dragging out the hammer
by its head, he felt for the first nail, then ran his hand up the side
of the shutter for some distance, judged what would be a fair position
for the nail, tapped it in a little way, and then began to drive with
vigorous strokes, sometimes missing in the darkness, but nearly always
getting good blows on the nail-head, and at last feeling that it was
well home.

All this while he felt himself held tightly to the woodwork by the
strain upon the cord, and the pressure of the wind:

Getting out another nail, he drove that in a foot lower, close to his
chest; another minute, and a third nail was driven home, the exertion
and excitement of doing something effectual driving away all thought of
danger.

Then jerking the rope a little so as to get more freedom he stood well
up, reached as high as possible, and drove in several more nails, and
reached over to the other edge of the shutter, where he drove in a
couple between the hinges, in case they should be wrenched.

"That must be safe now," he said to himself, as he lowered himself down
to a kneeling position in the gallery, the rope being tightened as he
did so, yielding at first, but drawing as if it were made of indiarubber
instead of the best hemp.

And now once more Tom felt a sensation of shrinking, for the time had
come for his descen