part of the building which was in use there was a long stretch
leading to the tower. The shaft had been built clear up, though
practically unused. Past floors used for store-rooms, past floors
used for nothing at all, they went--the man's face white, the boy
wailing out incoherent supplications. And then, within ten feet of
the top of the shaft, and within a foot of the top floor of the
building, the elevator came to a rickety stop. It wabbled back and
forth; it did strange and terrible things.

"She's falling!" panted Freckles. "Climb!"

And Henry Ludlow climbed. He got the door open, and he clambered up.
No sooner had the man's feet touched the solid floor than Freckles
reached up and slammed the door of the cage. Why he did that he was
not sure at the time. Later he felt that something had warned him
not to give his prisoner's voice a full sweep down the shaft.

Henry Ludlow was far from dull. As he saw the quick but even descent
of the car, he knew that he had been tricked. He would have been
more than human had there not burst from him furious and threatening
words. But what was the use? The car was going down--down--down, and
there he was, perhaps hundreds of feet above any one else in the
building--alone, tricked, beaten!

Of course he tried the door at the head of the winding stairway,
knowing full well that it would be locked. They always kept it
locked; he had heard one of the janitors asking for the keys to take
a party up just a few days before. Perhaps he could get out on top
of the building and make signals of distress. But the door leading
outside was locked also. There he was--helpless. And below--well,