Kennedy was now crawling up the mansard, helping himself as best
he could by some of the ornamental ironwork. I hurried over with
the janitor, and together we pulled him out of danger.

Long Sin had reached the roof on the opposite side as we ran
across in the direction of the taut rope.

A moment later he returned and bowed at us mockingly, then
disappeared behind a skylight.

Kennedy did not stop an instant.

"You fellows go down to the street and see if you can head him off
that way," he cried. "Stay here, Walter."

Before I knew it he had seized the rope and was going across to
the other building, hand over hand. It was a perilous undertaking,
but his blood was up.

Kennedy had almost reached the other roof when suddenly from
behind the skylight stepped Long Sin. With a wicked leer, he
advanced to the edge of the roof, his axe upraised. I looked
across the yawning chasm, horrified.

Slowly Long Sin raised the axe above his head, gathering all the
strength which he had, waiting for Kennedy to approach closer.
Kennedy stopped. Swiftly the axe descended, slashing the rope at
one blow.

Like the weight of a pendulum Kennedy swung back against our own