ap came from above.

"By George, the hawser is going!" cried Stangate. "Here! Stand aside!
I'm coming over to see to it."

The workman had plucked the hammer from his belt, and waved it furiously
in the air.

"Stand back, young man! Stand back! Or come--if you would hasten your
end."

"Tom, Tom, for God's sake, don't spring! Help! Help!"

The passengers all joined in the cry for aid. The man smiled malignantly
as he watched them.

"There is no one to help. They could not come if they would. You would
be wiser to turn to your own souls that ye be not cast to the burning.
Lo, strand by strand the cable snaps which holds you. There is yet
another, and with each that goes there is more strain upon the rest.
Five minutes of time, and all eternity beyond."

A moan of fear rose from the prisoners in the lift. Stangate felt a cold
sweat upon his brow as he passed his arm round the shrinking girl. If
this vindictive devil could only be coaxed away for an instant he would
spring across and take his chance in a hand-to-hand fight.

"Look here, my friend! We give you best!" he cried. "We can do nothing.
Go up and cut the cable if you wish. Go on--do it now, and get it over!"

"That you may come across unharmed. Having set my hand to the work, I
will not draw back from it."

Fury seized the young officer.

"You devil!" he cried. "What do you stand there grinning for? I'll give
you something to grin about. Give me a stick, one of you."

The man waved his hammer.

"Come, then! Come to judgment!" he howled.

"He'll murder you, Tom! Oh, for God's sake, don't! If we must die, let
us die together."

"I wouldn't try it, sir," cried Billy. "He'll strike you down before you
get a footing. Hold up, Dolly, my dear! Faintin' won't 'elp us. You
speak to him, miss. Maybe he'll listen to you."

"Why should you wish to hurt us?" said Mary. "What have we ever done to
you? Surely you will be sorry afterwards if we are injured. Now do be
kind and reasonable and help us to get back to the ground."

For a moment there may have been some softening in the man's fierce eyes
as he looked at the sweet face which was upturned to him. Then his
features set once more into their grim lines of malice.

"My hand is set to the work, woman. It is not for the servant to look
back from his task."

"But why should this be your task?"

"Because there is a voice within me which tells me so. In the night-time
I have heard it, and in the daytime t