Rush, followed his companion to the foot of the ladder.
"Are you sure you are all right, Bob?" he asked anxiously.
"No; I am not all right, but I'm right enough to beat this game. I can't do any more than break my neck, and I guess that isn't breakable. We have had our initiation ceremonies; now maybe we'll go along for a time without anything happening. Here goes!"
Bob, with evident effort, began climbing. Once he seemed to lose his grip and Steve, believing he was going to fall, started to run up the ladder.
"Quit that!" howled Jarvis, feeling the vibration on the ladder. "What are you trying to do—throw me off?"
"I thought perhaps you needed some help."
"I'll tell you when I do. What I want most just now is to be let alone."
Rush stepped back to the platform, but he remained standing there until finally Jarvis disappeared in the cloud of smoke and gas up near the top of the blast furnace. Then he turned back to the furnace work.
"What next, Mr. Peel?" he asked.
"Well, if you think you can get out of the way quick enough, you can begin to patch up the gutters again."