“If it is?” Spider laughed. “You don’t think he’s an ape, or something?”
“Might be a woman,” said Johnny seriously.
“Yeah, a woman! Fine chance!” Spider scoffed.
“Tell you what!” he exclaimed suddenly. “I’ll take that dare!”
“What dare?” Johnny stopped short in his tracks.
“I’ll get you his picture, and if it’s a lady, I’ll take two pictures.”
“You mean you’ll climb that tower? Six hundred feet! You—you’ve not been drinking, Spider?”
“Drinking, Johnny?” There was a deep note of reproach in Spider’s voice. “Whatever else I am, Johnny, I’m not a fool. Only a fool drinks. And a fellow who climbs is a double fool if he drinks. Drink, Johnny, makes you feel as if you could fly. And that’s a fatal feeling when you’re up in the air.
“No, Johnny, I’m sober. You want to know what that man looks like, what he’s doing up there. So do I. The elevator may be working. Who knows? If not—up I go.”
“All right,” Johnny agreed reluctantly. Full well he knew how futile it is to argue with a person of Spider’s nature. “You’ll know when you’ve had enough, won’t you? You’ll give it up if it’s sort of getting the best of you?”