Argosy, Vol. 112, No. 2 — page 48: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

214 fiercely, as he found the switch and punched it. Gloom that was no less than awful de- scended upon the room; Annabel Elton, with a little stumbling rush, was at Wil- liam’s side and holding fast to his arm. “T’m so frightened! I—” “You poor kid, I know all about it,” William whispered, and slipped about her a protecting arm that met with no repulse. *“T hate like sin to scare you, but we’ve got to leave. Now, be a regular, brave little girl and give me a hand, and to-morrow we'll laugh about it.”’ “ All right,” Annabel whispered tremu- lously. “The sheets—and there’s a spare double blanket on the foot of that bed,” whispered William swiftly. “I’m going to make a rope. You help me pull the knots.” Ah, yes, and she was rising to the occa- sion. Some relief came to William as she hurried with him to the bed and helped him pull off sheets. Deftly enough, there in the terrific darkness, they rolled the sheets into ropelike lengths; securely enough they knotted: them together and then stretched out the long blanket and added it to the rope. Finished, the thing seemed really of tre- mendous length. It coiled about William’s feet, even as it threatened to overturn chairs across the room, when he started for the open window. He fumbled his way about the massive steam radiator that stood near; he found the right spot and anchored his rope. And then very gleefully he whispered: “T’ll go down first and make sure that it’s strong enough and long enough. Shall I come up for you or can you get down alone?” 3 ‘“T can get down alone, I think.”’ “ Without hurting yourself?” éc Ves.” “Good for you!” breathed William Her- vey, as he swung a leg over the sill. Even though his uppercut had missed fire, he was something of an athlete. Going down a thick, soft rope was no job at all. William chuckled silently as his fingers closed — opened — closed again — opened again, each time letting him that much nearer the sane, safe outer earth. THE ARGOSY. Although, had somebody removed the ground altogether? He seemed to have descended yards upon yards and still his feet touched nothing. He paused and sought to look down, through the black night. He—ahk! He was sitting on the ground now, was he not? Ten thousand stars were glittering before his dumfounded eyes and leagues of improvised rope were coming down upon his head. Somewhere up there the wretched thing had parted. “-Oht = Qh! nizedly and far too loudly from above. ‘Hush! Wait!” William hissed. ‘ Hush!” Cold perspiration stood out upon his forehead. Had he—had he managed to smash himself anywhere? Not without a stifled, pained grunt or two, William rose cautiously to his feet. His legs were all right; yes, and his arms were all right, he discovered, and breathed a prayer of thanks. You're killed!” came ago- — Nor, for that matter, had he broken his - back in the fall—and, what was of at least as much importance, the thud of his landing had not aroused the house. William breathed deeply and _ looked around. Decidedly he had added another touch to the situation; Annabel was all alone up there now. It might be possible to throw back the rope and let her make a start of her own; it was more likely that, having accomplished an insecure knot, she would contrive a fall less happy than William’s. ; No, he would have to devise some other means of getting her out, which raised the mildly interesting question: what other means? William Hervey squinted on through the gloom, to which his eves were growing somewhat accustomed. There was a big barn right over there. Perhaps in former years it had been a hay- ~ barn. Perhaps there were ladders. Per- haps—nay, there must be ladders. Who ever saw a barn of that size without ladders? Cheered, suddenly and with whatever warrant, William stepped away on _ his jarred legs; stumbled, caught his breath, stopped short and listened for thirty sec- onds, stepped on again. And here was the barn, and now where was the door? Wil- Gomichbooks com)