a little ungently, and as he is still somewhat
groggy, I fancy he will need a little assistance. I imagine"--he caught
Danglar suddenly by the collar of his coat as Rhoda Gray ran to the
window and flung it up, and rushed the man unceremoniously across the
room--"I imagine it would be a mistake to leave him behind. He might
open the door, or even be unpleasant enough to throw something down on
us from above; also he should serve us very well as a hostage. Will you
go first, please, Miss Gray?"

She climbed quickly over the sill to the iron platform. Danglar was
dragged through by the Adventurer, mumbling, and evidently still in a
half-dazed condition. Windows were opening here and there. From back
inside the room, the blows rained more heavily upon the door--and now
there came the rip and rend of wood, as though a panel had crashed in.

"Hurry, please, Miss Gray!" prompted the Adventurer.

It was dark, almost too dark to see her footing. She felt her way down.
It was only one story above the ground, and it did not take long; but it
seemed hours since she had fired that shot, though she knew the time
had been measured by scarcely more than a minute. And now, on the lower
platform, waiting for that queer, double, twisting shadow of the two men
to join her, she heard the Adventurers s voice ring out sharply:

"This is your chance, Danglar! I didn't waste the time to bring you
along because it afforded me any amusement. They've found their heads at
last, and gone to the next window, instead of wasting time on that
door. They can't reach the fire escape there, but if they fire a single
shot--you go out! You'd better tell them so--and tell them quick!"

And then Danglar's voice shrieked out in sudden, "for God's sake, don't
fire!"

They were all on the lower platform together now. The Adventurer was
pressing the muzzle of his revolver into the small of Danglar's back,
and was still supporting the man by the collar of his coat.

"I think," said the Adventurer abruptly, "that we can now dispense with
Mr. Danglar's services, and I am sure a little cool night air out here
on the fire escape will do him good. Miss Gray--would you mind?--there's
a pair of handcuffs in my left-hand coat pocket."

Handcuffs! She could have laughed out idiotically. Handcuffs! They
seemed the most incongruous things in the world for the Adventurer to
have, and--She felt mechanically in his pocket, and handed them to him.

There was a click as