The Elk Mountain pilot., 1917-12-13

the window, watching Ravengar. He
knew he had been seen. but he trusted
in the invisible mantle, of which he
had had ample demonstration.
Ravengar, having satisfied himself
us to Sebastlan's location, came up the
stairs ut run. Sebastian went to the
door OF his room and, looking down
over the banisters, watched him.
When Ravengar was two flights be-
meath him he slipped along the pas
sage into u room ut the farther end.
Sebastian crouched down in the mid
die of the room, the mantle drawn over
see Ravengar reach the top of the
flight, stop, and look into the empty
chamber.
Ravengar hesitated, and then en-
tered the room. He looked out of the
window into the street beneath,
turned, and walked back within n foot
of Sebastian. He reached the door,
quietly locked it, and went away with
the key in his pocket.
Sebastian, the moment he had gone,
leaped to his feet and rushed to the
uoOT. 1le lillu HOt Decl uplt 10 DtlltNe
that it had been locked, though he
heard the key turn in it. But it was
locked, and with his considerable
strength he was unable to open it.
He had had implicit faith In the
mantle. He took it from about his
shoulders and looked Mt 1t. 1t was now
visible. He turned 1t inside out; it
was still visible. The mantle had
ceased to work.
Sebastian felt that his last chance
had gone.
From the window he saw Ravengar
below, in conversation with two po-
licemen. They were looking and point
ing upward. Panic seized him. He
rushed back to the door and struggled
furiously to break it down, but in
vain. He ran back to the window. He
saw Ravengar and the policemen en-
tering the hall.
1t was impossible to leap to safety.
But outside the window ran a water
pipe. 1t was substantial. though loose
in places-this, however. would give
him n securer grip, and Sebastian. In
his early days in the Argentine, had
climbed like all his race. when, bare
footed boy, he scaled the crags along
the shores of Porto Delgado. He
climbed out of the window and began
to make the perilous ascent.
He was breathing hard In terror, for
he was unused to that sort of pre-
dicament, and years OF good living had
softened him. He was halfway up
to the roof when u shout beneath him
apprised him that he was discovered.
One of the policemen had entered
the race with Ravengar. Astonished
Mt his disappearance. ut first they had
looked into the street and called to
the man on guard mt the door; this
alone gave Sebastian his leeway.
Come back" shouted the police
man.
Sebastian climbed the harder. The
roof wns almost within his grasp. The
policeman hesitated, uncertain wheth-
cr to shoot. nnd then, followed by Raw
cngur, ran from the room and up the
stairs.
1t was an even race, but the cover
of the scuttle stuck, and Sebastian had
tlle I1t WIS CIoSSllls tle
roof when the scuttle at last came
loose. As the policeman's head np-
peared Sebastian stopped and kicked
out viciously with his foot.
The policeman groaned and fell
backward. Ravengar was few feet
behind him, near, but not near enough
to intercept his quarry, now running
again with all his speed toward the
fire escape at the opposite end. Sc
bastian flung himself down and began
to worm his way down the rickety.
rusty ladder.
He heard shout beneath him.
Looking down, he saw the second po-
liceman coming up the fire escape.
The man was on the flight Immediate
ly beneath him; in his hand was u re-
volver.
Halt! Hands up" he yelled.
Sebastian flung up his hands in to-
ken of surrender.
The policeman Skinned up the fire
escape like monkey, the revolver in
his mouth. Sebastian waited for him
at the top. He could see, out of the
corner of his eye, Ravengur beginning
to emerge from the scuttle behind him,
followed by the first policeman. from
whose mouth the blood was stream
ing.
AS the first man set foot upon the
roof Sebastian leaped ut him like IL
tiger. A furious struggle followed,
the policeman trying in vain to get
the drop on the hunted man whose
arms were about his own, while the
hands clutched Mt his throat. Stag
gering on the edge of the dizzy height,
the policeman let the revolver fall and
caught at the. rail of the escape to
save himself. AS he did so Sebastian
stopped and picked up the weapon.