ladder outside your room to the roof. Once we get to the roof the
rest's easy. Should anything go wrong, I'll come back by this
fire-escape. Wait at the window until you see your door open. Do
you understand?"

The girl answered with an eager nod. The color had flown to her
cheek. Her eyes flashed in excitement. A sudden doubt assailed
Ford.

"You've no time to put on any more clothes," he commanded.

"I haven't got any!" said the girl.

The knight-errant ran up the fire-escape, pulled himself over the
edge of the roof, and, crossing it, dropped through the trap to the
landing of the kitchen stairs. Here he expended the greater part of
the two minutes he had allowed himself in cautiously opening the
door into the hall. He accomplished this without a sound, and in
one step crossed the hall to the door that held Miss Dale a
prisoner.

Slowly he drew back the bolts. Only the spring lock now barred him
from her. With thumb and forefinger he turned the key, pushed the
door gently open, and ran into the room.

At the same instant from behind him, within six feet of him, he
heard the staircase creak. A bomb bursting could not have shaken
him more rudely. He swung on his heel and found, blocking the door,
the giant bulk of Prothero regarding him over the barrel of his
pistol.