t up the first flight he heard flying feet on the stairs
overhead, and he made no pause on the second floor. He heard a door on
the third floor slam. It was in the front. Houses of this type have a
window on the stair landing and Evan had no difficulty in seeing what
he was about.

On the third floor there were four doors on the hall, all closed. Evan
went directly to the door he had heard close, the door of the principal
front room, and throwing it open, stepped back, half expecting a
fusillade from within. But none came. After a moment he stepped to
the door and looked in. The room was empty. But there was a door
communicating with the rear.

That was as far as his observations carried him. Suddenly a
suffocating cloud was thrown over his head from behind and drawn close
about him.

A voice said: "Give him one; he's heeled!"

A sickening blow descended on his skull. His strength became as water.
Still he did not lose consciousness.

A different voice said: "Let him lie! Come on!"

The first and more determined voice replied:

"Bring him, I tell you! It's too good a chance to miss!"

A rope was hastily wound around Evan's body, and he was partly dragged,
partly boosted up a ladder and through a scuttle to the roof. The last
sound he heard from the house was the trampling of heavy feet in the
entry below. He was put down on the roof. He was still incapable of
helping himself, but he heard all that went on as in a dream.

He heard them cover the scuttle. He heard the more resolute voice say:
"Help me lift this slab from the parapet." The other replied
agitatedly: "Oh, what's the use! Come on! Come on!" The first said:
"Do what I tell you! Only one man can stand on the ladder at a time:
he'll have all he can do to push this up."

A heavy object was dropped on the scuttle. Evan was then picked up
between the two and carried over the roofs. They laid him down on the
low parapet that separated each house from its neighbour, and jumping
over, picked him up again. In this manner they crossed the roofs of
six houses. Evan heard vague sounds of excitement from the street
below.

He was put down again. One of his captors climbed above him: he heard
his voice come down. With one pulling from above, and one boosting
from below, with strenuous efforts Evan was hoisted to a higher roof.
The second man climbed after. As he did so he said:

"They're out."

The other replied: "Bolt the door a