CHAPTER XIII.
BOB'S ESCAPE.
Bob's heart beat wildly as he crept up the stairs, for he had resolvedto let no one stop him if he could help it, knowing that it would gohard with him if he again fell into King's hands. He reached the topof the flight without hearing any one and quickly passed through thedining room to the front hall, and for the second time since hisimprisonment, he was at the front door. The hall had a vestibule andjust as he succeeded in getting the inner door open he heard a keyturn in the outer door, and before he had time to dodge back, it swungopen and Reed entered.
Coming thus suddenly face to face, it would be hard to say which wasmore at a loss what to do, but as soon as he could speak, Reed gasped,"You?"
"Yes, me," answered Bob, "and if you don't step aside and let me pass,some one is going to get hurt and don't you forget it."
"Where's Jim?" Reed demanded, shutting the door.
"What's left of him is down stairs, and I rather guess he'll staythere a while."
As Bob had taken the precaution to lock the door of the laboratoryafter he came out and had the key in his pocket, he felt that he hadlittle to fear from that quarter for a time at least, even if King hadcome to.
"Your little game is up," he continued, "and you might as well stepaside and save trouble and perhaps your head as well."
"Think so?" sneered Reed, and Bob saw him reach his hand back towardhis hip pocket and before he was able to spring forward, he waslooking into the barrel of a .32.
"Now, my young friend, I rather guess you will reconsider yourconclusion. I don't want to hurt you, but I'd much prefer putting abullet through you to letting you get away. Now, about face and marchdown to the laboratory again, and no monkey shines, or this here gunwill be apt to go off, for when I get excited, my finger gets twitchy,and remember, if it does go off, the bullet will come out of the endthat's pointing at you."
All this had probably not taken over a minute, but during that time,Bob had been doing some quick thinking and had resolved that, gun orno gun, he was not going to lose this chance. They passed out into thedining room, Reed following Bob at a distance of perhaps six feet.Reaching the door, at the head of the stairs, Bob pretended that hewas trying to open it.
"It seems to be locked," he said, "Guess the wind must have blown itshut."
"Well, hold on a minute, I've got a key in my pocket."
Bob turned and saw that Reed had lowered the revolver a little as hesearched his pocket for the key. It was the chance he wanted. Like aflash he leaped, and before the startled man could raise his arm, hiswrist was seized and given a powerful twist, which sent the revolverspinning to the other side of the room. Reed, maddened to the point offrenzy, struggled with all his strength, and he was no meanantagonist, but Bob knew that he was fighting for his liberty, if notfor his life, and fought as he had never fought before. Round the roomthey struggled, knocking over the chairs as they fought. Once the mangot the boy down on his back, and with his hand on his throat, beganto choke him, but Bob managed to squirm over, and, getting to hisknees, flung one arm round Reed's neck, and giving a powerful twistmade him lose his hold. Both quickly rose to their feet and stoodfacing each other, panting for breath. Suddenly, catching sight of therevolver on the floor near his feet, Reed made a move toward it. Butthe movement gave Bob the chance he wanted, and, springing forward,he swung his right arm with all the strength he could muster. His fistlanded squarely on the man's right eye, and he went down in a heap. Hewas not knocked out, but the blow gave Bob time to grab up therevolver, and by the time Reed was on his feet again, he took his turnat looking down the barrel.
"Now, my old friend, I guess I'll have to ask you to recognize thatconclusion you spoke of a few moments ago. This thing don't look quiteso good at that end, does it? Give my regards to your friend below, ifyou can get enough life in him to accept them."
So saying, he backed out of the room into the hall, still pointing therevolver at the man, who stood looking daggers at him, but not daringto move, and this time reached the street without mishap.
"Whew!" he thought, as he slipped the revolver into his pocket, "thatwas some exciting time while it lasted. Well, I'm free at last andI'll take mighty good care that they don't get me again. Wonder whichway I'd better go?"
Although well acquainted with a good part of Boston, as he lookedabout him he had no idea in what part of the city he was, except thatit was one of the poorer districts.
Coming to the harbor front, he turned toward the south, judging thatthe ferry was in that direction. He had gone but a few squares, whenhe heard the cry of fire, and glancing down a side street which led tothe water's edge, he saw a number of men and boys running toward anold house near the water and about a square from where he wasstanding.
"Guess I'll see what's doing," he thought as he turned and started torun down the street.
Coming opposite the house, which stood somewhat apart by itself, hesaw that it was a three-story frame structure, and the flames werealready visible through the windows of the first floor, while smokewas pouring from those of the first and second stories.
"It won't last ten minutes," said a man standing next to him, "thewalls will fall in before the fire engine gets here."
"Are the people all out?" asked Bob.
"Dunno, guess so. Don't see any one, do you?"
But, at that moment, a figure appeared at a front third-story windowand shouted for help. At the sound of the voice, Bob's heart almoststopped beating, and shading his eyes with his hand, he gazed eagerlyupward. "It can't be possible," he thought, "but that was Jack's voicesure as guns, and what's more, it looks like him." Just then, the boygave another wild cry for help.
"My soul, that's Jack," he groaned, "sure as fate. Quick," he shouted,"where's a ladder?"
The cry was taken up by the crowd, and in a minute, a man pushed hisway through the crowd, carrying a fairly long ladder. Eager handsseized it and raised it toward the boy, but alas for their hopes, itreached only to the middle of the second story window, too short bynearly eight feet. Bob gave a groan, but just then he saw a store onthe opposite side of the street, and rushing across, he darted in. "Acoil of rope," he shouted, but there was no one there. Just at thatmoment, however, a man rushed in, and hearing Bob's cry, darted to theback part of the store, to return almost instantly, dragging abouttwenty feet of rope after him. Snatching the end of the rope from hishand, Bob rushed back across the street rapidly coiling it as he ran.By the time he reached the foot of the ladder the smoke and flameswere pouring from the windows in great clouds and the entire front ofthe house was tottering.
"Can't do it," shouted a man, "it'll fall before you can get up."
"I'm going to do it anyway," muttered the boy as he started to ascend.
The heat was terrific, and the smoke nearly choked him, but he foughthis way upward rung by rung. It seemed that he would never reach thetop, as the rungs of the ladder were so hot they fairly blistered hishands and the walls threatened to fall at any moment, but he did it,and bracing himself by putting one foot through the ladder, he graspedone end of the rope in his right hand, holding the coil in his left.
"Now, Jack, catch it," he shouted.
"Great guns, Bob, how'd you get here?"
"Never mind now, catch this rope," and he threw it up toward thewindow with all the strength he had left, which was not very much. Byrare good fortune Jack caught it.
"Quick, now, fasten it to something, this wall won't last muchlonger."
Jack disappeared for what seemed to Bob a long time, but at last hesaw him at the window again.
"I've got it," he shouted.
"All right, now, come down while I hold this end."
Jack swung himself from the window and came down the rope hand overhand and soon had his feet on the top rung of the ladder.
"Now, quick, we haven't a second to lose," cried Bob, as he started todescend. "Are you all right?"
"Sure thing, look out, I'm coming," shouted Jack.
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By this time several of the rungs were on fire, and two or three brokeas Bob stepped on them, but he managed to keep his hold, and, reachingthe ground, looked up to see Jack half way down. But, now the ladderwas so weakened that, as the boy stepped on to the next rung, itswayed and broke fairly in two, and at that instant, the entire frontof the building fell in with a tremendous crash.
Jack, however, was safe. He had felt the ladder, as well as the wall,going and had managed to throw himself backward away from the burningbuilding. He fell only about eight feet and landed on his feet unhurt.Running quickly back, away from the intense heat, the two boys huggedeach other in a frenzy of joy, while the crowd set up a great shout ofgladness.
"You saved my life, old man, but for mercy sakes, how did you gethere?"
"It's too long a story to tell now," replied Bob, "let's try to getout of this crowd."
Although many tried to detain them, the two boys managed to slip awayjust as a fire engine, with a great ringing of bells, dashed on to thescene.