The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-03-19

longer. They lay on the
floor, one of the planks
that formed the side had been
deity pried off and wrenched
away. the steps themselves
broken at the rappeting where
they Joined the opposite side.
The short ladder had skill
fully been made useless: the bolted
trap was completely out of reach.
If anything more had been need
ed to prove that Philips destruc.
ton had been deliberately planned
this supplied the answer. After the
briefest trial he saw that any at
tempt to reach the roof was wholly
futile. With despairSat his heart
he rushed down again to the flat.
The fire had already reached It.
The house, old, built chiefly of
brick and dry timber, famed by
the draught from the double STAIR
case, was burning like a bonfire.
He dashed into the sitting room
and thrust his head out OF the win
4 dow, yelling for help.
The engines had already arrived.
he could not see them, though the
: splash and hiss of water was audi
BILE above the cracking OF the
flames. He saw at once that no
fire escape could reach him
through the pail of smoke and
flame from the lower windows,
even IL the salvage knew that he
was there.
The floor was already smoking
and burning: it was hard to
breathe. Possibly the suffocating
air had bemused Philips faculties
~. ks1kx y - fra6
that might have occurred to him
earlier, and with an exclamation
he rushed for the little back room.
Al gush of smoke and sparks
dove him back, but, wrapping q
towel swiftly about his mouth
and nostrils, he plunged through
and gained the window. 1t looked
out on q narrow alleyway be
tween two houses practically an
open shaft, joined by a narrow
\ brock wall toward the street.
The house opposite was empty;
q window faced Philip, some
twenty-five feet opposite across
the shaft. He had never used
this room, taking warning from
E his experience at Highgate, be-
cause It was directly overlooked,
and he had no mind to be shot at
again.
Now he flung open the window
and looked down. The ground
was sixty feet below, the door of
the aileyway locked, for nobody
was visible. But a cry Of joy
broke from Philip he saw dou-
bic rope hanging down the shart
between the two houses. It hung
from heavy pulley wheel and
bracket that reached out from
the top OF the building, and was
used by the warehouse people for
hauling the big bales of paper up
up to the second floor.
The rope was looBed up and
hardly reached halfway to the
ground. Even from the end of 1t
q fall would mean almost certain
death. But hope leaped up in
Philips heart; there was one thing
ct least he could attempt, des-
perafe at is was. The flames were
scorching him from the room be-
hind as he stood in the window.
He climbed out on the sill and,
measuring the distance with his
eye, made one swift spring into
space, cIutching at the double
rope.
1t was a twelve foot leap. He
caught the rope with both hands
and brought up with a jerk,
swinging and swaying above the
eixty-foot drop like loose pendu-
lum. The impetus of the leap
sent him well forward. to return
again towards the wall. He kicked
off from it and swung with all
his might. trying to heave him
self across to the opposite window
sill.
Twice his foot touched the sill;
he tried desperately to hook foot.
hold, but each time he swung help
Iessly back. The leap had brought
him too low. below the sill's level.
and the distance was too far. Again
and again he tried, and realized
with sickening thrill that it was
beyond his powers. His. strength
was failing and his hands began to
slip. And then 1t was that the win
dow opposite was thrown open and
he heard a harsh voice crying to
him.
lone more effort, Mottisfoht!
Again, man-once morei Swing
yourself till can reach you. For
life, man-don't give int"
Mottisfont. scarcely conscious,
heard the voice as in a dream.
But he made the effort. It failed,
and he felt himself slipping as he
swung. And then the man in the
opposite window did thing that
seemed impossible. He crooked
his long legs inside the window and
reached out with the full length
of his arms and body. AS the rope
ewayed Mottisfont forward again
the man caught him.
LET gow he shouted in Philips
ear.
IT seemed perfectly certain that
the dead weight would tear both Of
= them loose and hurl them to the
ground. But with an effort of
more than human strength the
man: swung Philip onto the sill,
both arms wrapped around him. A.
moment OF cracking muscles and
missing breath-then they toppled
5nto, the room together, safe.
Philip stared up dazedly at the
face that looked down into his.
"Goodenough" gasped Philip,
4eehly. "you!"
Then everything spun around,
there was a buZzinR in his ears
and his senses left him.
CHAPTER XCVI.
The Stranger Intervenes.
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