"But suppose—suppose something happens?"
"Don't be a Mr. Sneed!" retorted her sister, with a laugh. "I don't believe anything will happen, and if—if he should fall—see!" and she pointed to where a detachment of city firemen stood ready with their life net.
"Oh, I didn't notice them before," confessed Ruth. "That makes it safer."
"All ready down there, Russ?" shouted Paul, through a megaphone. "Shall I go?"
"Jump! I'm all ready for you," was the answer.
Paul paused but for a moment, and then he jumped from the sill, and out away from the building. The coil of rope in the metal case had been swung out from the side of the structure on an arm, so as to enable Paul to clear the lower window ledges.
For the first few feet he went down like a shot, and for one horrible moment he felt that something had gone wrong. In fact the crowd did also, for there was a hoarse shout of alarm.
"Oh!" gasped Ruth, faintly.
"I—I——" began Alice, as she, too, turned aside her head. Then someone yelled:
"It's all right!"