The Monticellonian., 1915-07-08

l aged to break away and raised his ax threateningly A shout from Kennedy caused him to turn and run down the flight of stairs, Kennedy closely be- hind him.
 | In the main hall of the apartment house were two elevator shafts facing | the street entrance, some twenty-five or thirty feet away. Through the | street door the janitor and two or l three other men were running in. | They had heard the noise of the fight ing above.
 | Escape to the street was cut off. | We were behind him on the flight of stairs.
 | Long Sin did not hesitate a mo- ment. He ran to the elevator, the ] door of which was open, seized the elevator boy and sent him sprawling on the marble floor Then he slammed the door and the elevator shot up. 1 Kennedy was only few feet be- hind, and he took in the situation at a glance. He leaped into the other ele vator, and before the surprised boy I could interfere shot it up only a few l feet behind Long Sin.
 It was a wild race to the roof Long Sin had the start, and as the eleva- | tor reached the top floor he flung it open, dashed out and through a door up to the roof itself.
 A second later Kennedy's elevator 1 stopped. Craig leaped out and fired his last shot at the legs of Long Sin as he disappeared at the top of the l flight of stairs to the roof He flung the revolver from him and followed. l Without a moments hesitation Ken nedy threw himself at Long Sin. They 1 struggled with each other. Finally Long Sin managed to wrench one arm | loose and raise the Tong ax over Ken nedy's head
 | Kennedy lodged back As he did so he tripped on the very edge of the roof and went sliding down the slates of the mansard.
 Fortunately he was able to catch l himself in the gutter 1 It was the opportunity that Long Sin wanted. He started across the rope, which he had stretched from the apartment house to the building across the court. with all the deftness of the most expert Chinese acrobat.
 By this time had reached the roof, followed by the janitor and the ele- vator boys.
 Kennedy was now crawling up the mansard, helping himself as best he could by some of the ornamental iron work,
 Long Sin had reached the roof on | the opposite side as We ran across in 1 the direction of the taut rope. A moment later he turned and | bowed at us mockingly, then disap- peared behind a skylight.
 Kennedy did not stop an instant.
 You fellows go to the street and see if you can head him off that way" he cried Stay here Waiter"
 Before I knew it he had seized the rope and was going across to the other building hand over hand. It was perilous undertaking Kennedy had almost reached the other roof when suddenly from behind the skylight stepped Long Sin. With wicked leer, he advanced to the edge of the roof, his ax upraised. I looked across the yawning ehasm, hor- rified.
 Slowly Long Sin raised his ax above his head. gathering all the strength which he had, waiting for Kennedy to approach closer. Kennedy stopped. I Swiftly the ax descended, slashing the rope at one blow. Like the weight of pendulum Ken nedy swung back against our own | building, managing to keep his hold on the rope with superhuman | strength.
 There was a tremendous shattering of glass.
 The rope had been just long enough | to make him strike a window and he had gone crashing through the glass three floors below.
 I dashed down the stairs and into the apartment Kennedy was badly cut.
 Help me, quick, Walter" he urged, | LuONIuS lONdIu lHe tlcN dtOlS.
 Meanwhile Long Sin had quickly dived down into the next building A | few moments later he had come out on | the ground floor at the rear. Gazing about to see whether he was followed, he disappeared.
 
 Back in the apartment Elaine and Aunt Josephine were just about to run out when the two Chinamen who | had been knocked out recovered One of them threw himself on Elaine. Aunt Josephine tried to ward him off. but the other one struck her and threw her down.
 Before she could recover they had seized Elaine. With a hasty guttural exclamation they picked her up and ran out. In- stead of going downstairs they crossed the hallway, slamming the door behind them.
 As Kennedy and I reached the ground floor we saw the janitor and one of the elevator boys on either side of Aunt Josephine.
 Elaine! Elaine," she cried Whats the matter?" demanded Kennedy, leaning heavily on mo.
 They have kidnapped her." cried Aunt Josephine.
 Kennedy pulled himself together.
 Tell me. quick-how did it hap pen?" he demanded of Aunt Joseph