The Chief shook himself and instinctively settled his clothes on him. “He had a grip like a bear!” he muttered. “Guess I’m getting old!” Then to me he added, “Let’s get as many men as we can cram into the elevator and go up and clean up with them. I’m getting mad! Come on, men!”
At the back of the platform another larger elevator stood empty and waiting. Two of the men fell on the big fellow and tied him up securely. The first operator we had captured was stone dead with a bullet through the middle of his head. We left him where he lay. Blake, too, was dead and we lifted him onto the platform. There were about twenty of us in all, and by squeezing tightly together we managed to crowd into this larger elevator. Then the last man closed the door and the Chief began to experiment with the mechanism. It was quite a simple one, and after a moment we started smoothly upward to our final goal. It was a moment big with tension and I think we all felt it.
“Listen now, men,” said the Chief, soon after we started. “This is a case of no parley and no quarter. We’ve got to work fast and take them all by surprise, for we’re dealing with men who stop at nothing. Understand, all of you?”
There was a murmur of assent.
“And another thing,” he added. “There are a lot of women ahead, as some of you know. You’ll have to be mighty careful where you shoot! But otherwise, do not hesitate to shoot.”
There was another murmur and then we rode on in silence.
Chapter XXIV.
The Web Is Torn
Presently the bottom of a door appeared, and a moment later the car stopped of its own accord. We held our breaths, listening.
Then the Chief slid the iron grille of the elevator softly out of the way and fumbled at the door beyond. We could hear no sound from the other side of the door, and at last the Chief pushed it quietly open and we poured out in a body into the little blue and gold lobby. I had been in it only the night before, but the time seemed months ago as I glanced quickly around. It was deserted.
“Which way to the main hall?” whispered the Chief; for the lobby had several doors leading out of it.