the parapet, and began to haul up the fainting girl.

Hand over hand he hauled up the cord and its burden. The child was
dangling between earth and sky when suddenly a great shout came from
below. George glanced down, and there, running with up-turned
horror-stricken face, was Matthew Blackett. Help at last! But had it
come too late?




CHAPTER IV

THE RESCUE


Matthew stopped short, unable to move a yard further, his eyes fixed
upon the slight form hanging so dangerously high above him. It was
truly an awful moment for both the lads, a moment never afterwards to
be forgotten by either of them. The time of suspense was but seconds;
it seemed years. But George, his knees firmly pressed against the low
parapet wall that ran along the top in front of the house, had no
difficulty in supporting the weight, and not too much in actually
hauling up his living burden. Another moment and he had seized one arm
with a strong grip; the next he had pulled the child to him on the
roof.

"Safe! thank God!" he murmured, almost breathless with his exertions
and still more with his agitation.