Pagina 101 de 439

"Hurry, Steve," she urged. "They've broken in. Hurry, dear."

The ranger unlocked his prisoner's handcuffs and tossed them up

to the Tennessean.

"Get a move on you, Mr. Struve, unless you want to figure in a

necktie party," he advised.

But the convict's flabby muscles were unequal to the task of

getting him through the opening. Besides which, his wounded hand,

tied up with a blood-soaked rag, impeded him. He had to be pulled

from above and boosted from behind. Fraser, fit to handle his

weight in wildcats, as an admirer had once put it, found no

trouble in following. Steps were already heard on the stairs

below when Larry slipped the cover to its place and put upon it a

large flat stone which he found on the roof for that purpose. The

fugitives crawled along the roof on their hands and knees so as

to escape the observation of the howling mob outside the house.

Presently they came into the shadows, and Nell rose, ran forward

to a little ladder which led to a higher roof, and swiftly

ascended. Neill, who was at her heels, could not fail to note the

light supple grace with which she moved. He thought he had never

seen a more charming woman in appearance.