“Yes, Ned.” The voice was faint, but distinctly audible.
“And McGinnis?”
There was a moment’s hesitation. The listeners held their breath—perhaps, after all, they had been dreaming and there was no voice! Then it came again.
“Yes. He’s lying beside me, but he’s unconscious—or dead.” The last word was almost inaudible, so faint was it; but the tightening of Ned’s lips showed that he had heard it, none the less. In a moment he stooped again.
“Keep up your courage, old fellow! We’ll have you out of that soon.” Then he stepped aside and gave the signal for the men to fall to work again.
Rapidly, eagerly, but oh, so cautiously, they worked. At the next pause the voice was nearer, so near that they could drop through a small hole a rubber tube four feet long, lowering it until Spencer could put his mouth to it. Through this tube he was given a stimulant, and a cup of strong coffee.
They learned then a little more of what had happened. The two men were on the fourth floor when the crash came. They had been swept down and had been caught between the timbers in such a way that as they lay where they had been flung, a roof three feet above their heads supported the crushing weight above. Spencer could remember nothing after the first crash, until he regained consciousness long afterward, and heard the workmen far above him. It was then that he had tapped his signal on the projecting timber. He had tapped three times before he had been heard. At first it was dark, he said, and he could not see, but he knew that McGinnis was near him. McGinnis had spoken once, then had apparently dropped into unconsciousness. At all events he had said nothing since. Still, Spencer did not think he was dead.
Once more the rescuers fell to work, and it was then that Ned Spencer hurried away to send a message of hope and comfort to Mrs. Merideth, who had long since left the great house on the hill and had come down to the Mill House to be with Margaret. To Margaret Ned wrote the one word “Come,” and as he expected, he had not long to wait.
“You have found him!” cried the girl, hurrying toward him. “Ned, he isn’t dead!”
Ned smiled and put out a steadying hand.