Torrence looked at his watch.
"What o'clock is it?" I inquired.
"Nearly one," he answered reflectively, and then turning to me, he added
with a look I shall never forget.
"Now, Gurt, if you have any nerve, I shall expect you to show it, No
flunking or crawling, mind! Do exactly as I say, and without question
or hesitation."
I nodded assent, for I could not speak. I saw something bulky under his
coat, and wondered what it could be; but it was no time for such an
inquiry.
Torrence then opened the door into the hall softly, and put out the
light.
"Follow me; but walk quietly and don't speak a word," he said, leading
the way.
We walked along the passage until reaching the grand stairway, when,
instead of descending, as we had been in the habit of doing, Torrence
led the way above. We climbed several stories until we stood at the
foot of a narrow flight of steps, which ended in a scuttle above. From
time to time he looked around to see if we were observed, and then
stalked ahead, apparently satisfied. Reaching the scuttle, which was
bolted upon the inside, he slipped the iron tongue noiselessly back,
pushed open the hatch, and told me to follow. I found myself upon the
roof of the hotel with my brother, who quietly closed the heavy door
behind us. At that moment an awful thought flashed upon me. Had the
fellow become in anyway connected with a gang of burglars? Had all this
vast wealth come by theft? I stood still, petrified. It was not too
late to retreat. I would not be led thus blindly as an accomplice to a
crime never even suspected by me! It was too horrible. I was paralyzed
with terror at the thought. Seeing that I had stopped, Torrence turned
suddenly and exclaimed in a low excited tone:
"For God's sake! what's the matter?"
"I will not go another step," I answered; "I believe you are bent on
some damnable crime!"
Torrence positively laughed. Nothing he could have done or said would
have been more reassuring.
"Why, you old fool, Gurt! Have you taken leave of your senses?"
"Swear to me that there is nothing of the kind," I replied, still
without moving.
"Swear! Why, of course, I'll swear. Do you suppose with the money I've
already accumulated it would be necessary to risk my neck in
housebreaking, for the sake of a few paltry dollars more? Really you
have less common sense than I imagined."
Something in the tone of his voice convinced me that I was mistaken.
"Torry," I answered, "I will believe you. We have lived together all
our lives, and I have never yet found you doing a dishonorable act."
"And you never will!" he exclaimed with feeling. "You will soon know
everything. Now don't make a fool of yourself, but follow me and look
where you step, too, for we are at least a hundred and fifty feet above
the pavement, and I don't want to be responsible for your scattered
remains!"
We approached the edge of the roof, and looked out over the city of
London. It was a grand picture with great masses of shadow, and small
flickering lights through a sea of mist below. Torrence stooped and
walked along the cornice as if looking for something. Presently he stood
still and looked down. What was he about? Did he intend committing
suicide? I entreated him not to go so near the edge of the roof.
"We've got to go over it in a minute," he answered, without even looking
back at me. Then he struck a match and examined his surroundings more
carefully. I was completely unnerved and called:
"I'll be damned if I'll follow you another step. I believe you've lost
your mind!" at the same minute I turned to go back. Torrence ran after
me.
"You'll regret it all your life if you don't come with me now!" he
exclaimed excitedly. "I swear to you that neither of us shall be hurt,
if you will only do as I say."
I hesitated and allowed myself to be persuaded. Again he approached the
edge of the roof, and when I reached him I saw that we were standing
above another building at the back of our own, but which seemed about
two stories lower. Torrence did not now stop long, but reaching under
his coat, drew out a coil of stout rope, with an iron hook fastened at
one end of it. It was the bulky thing I had observed when he entered my
room.
*VIII.*
Without further hesitation Torrence hitched the hook onto the cornice,
and throw down the other end of the rope. He then, having obtained my
promise to follow, commenced letting himself over to the building below.
I slipped after him as quickly as possible, until we found ourselves
standing side by side upon the lower level. It was here that I again
demanded an explanation, though foolishly enough, when I had come so
far; retreat being now out of the question, as the hook had been
disengaged from above, by a dexterous twirl of the rope and caught
without striking. He only answered by saying:
"If you value your life and liberty, you will follow me as quickly as
possible!"
I saw it was no time to hold back. We slid from roof to roof, Torrence
always unloosing the hook above, and catching it before it struck. At
last we found ourselves on the top of a low building, overlooking an
alley, at the head of which a solitary gas lamp was burning. Here we
paused.
"I'd give a thousand pounds if that light was out!" said Torrence, not
seeming to know how to proceed. Then he added:
"Now, listen! An officer will be due in about five minutes. We must
stop where we are until he has gone; then we must get down into the
alley and cut for our lives!"
We crouched in the shadow of a chimney and waited. The alley and the
street beyond seemed equally deserted. There was no sound, save for that
of an occasional cab, or the shout of a passing reveler in the distance.
Fortunately there was a light fog and if the wall below was not too
closely windowed, I thought we had a fair chance of escape; though why
he had not come by the front door of the Mustapha was a riddle I saw no
prospect of guessing.
"Quiet!" said Torrence, suddenly pressing his hand against my shoulder,
"he is coming!"
There was the slow even step of a policeman. I could hear him pause as
he reached the end of the alley, and imagined him looking up it to see
if all were well. Presumably he was satisfied, for the step gradually
receded into the distance, and the street became quiet again. I was
intensely excited and resolved to elude the vigilance of the officer if
it were possible to do so.
"This way!" said Torrence, stepping softly along the edge of the gutter
in search of a suitable anchorage for the hook. But the place looked
dangerous. There was an attic window hard by, which we must avoid, and
the gutter flared too broadly for a holding. Fortunately there was
plenty of rope, as the drop to the ground could not have been more than
twenty feet.
"Now don't make a sound for your life. I am going to take a loop around
the chimney. There is a blank wall where we must drop, but whole
families are asleep beneath us. Follow me and hold your breath. If we
can once gain the air ship we are safe!"
It was the first intimation he had given of where we were going, and I
was relieved to be assured that we were headed for our own property,
though why we should be afraid to go there openly was the mystery.
We passed the line around the chimney and made a loop with the hook, and
then Torrence, grasping the rope firmly, disappeared over the edge into
the alley below. I followed him as quickly as possible, but must have
made more noise than I intended, for scarcely had I touched the ground
than a window opened above me, and a man's head was thrust out.
"Hello, there!" he cried; and then seeing the rope, which was hanging in
full view of the gaslight, shouted at the top of his voice:
"Police! Stop thief! Police!"
"Run for your life!" cried Torrence, "but don't lose sight of me!"
He led the way down the alley at a lively pace; I followed, though
farther off than I liked. It was only a short distance to where a
street crossed at right angles. Turning to the left we dashed down the
thoroughfare at full speed, and before I had gone fifty yards, ran
square into the arms of a policeman.
"No so fast, young man!" said the officer, holding me firmly, "what's
all this about?"
"What's it about," I answered indignantly; "I'm trying to catch the
thief, and there he is." I pointed to Torrence, who at that minute
turned another corner, "and if you'd do your duty and help, instead of
standing here holding me like an idiot, we'd have him!" I added.
"And what's he done?" asked the man stupidly, evidently mortified at his
mistake. "Has he robbed you?"
"I should say so. He's grabbed my watch and chain and made away with
it; and we'll never get it back again either, if you keep me here much
longer."
The man released his hold. Fortunately my coat was buttoned up so that
the chain was covered. The policeman had only got a glimpse of
Torrence, who passed while he was on the opposite side of the street,
but he was now convinced that he was in error and had caught the wrong
man, and so joined me in the pursuit. Scarcely had we turned the corner
after Torrence than we met that gentleman walking very leisurely toward
us.
"Did you see a fellow running this way?" asked the officer excitedly.
"Yes," said my brother; "he's just ahead of you! If you run I think you
may catch him!"
Having delivered himself of this information, the gentleman walked on
leisurely; not, however, without having given me the tip to meet him on
the lower corner. And then to divest myself of all suspicion, should
any still be lurking in the officer's mind, I feigned considerable
feeling at the loss of my watch, and even went so far as to offer a
reward for it, paying the man ten shillings down on account. Of course
I gave him a fictitious name and address. It was a capital ruse, if I
do say it myself, and worked like a pair of charms.
As soon as I was free I hurried down the street to join Torrence, who
was waiting quietly for me on the corner.
"And now the sooner we get out of this neighborhood the better!" he
said, leading the way quickly down the thoroughfare; "but mind, we must
not run. Not a step."
We then hastened along all manner of back streets, till I thought we
were lost, but suddenly emerged on the bank of the river, at a small
wharf, where, to my surprise, I found the launch already waiting, with
steam up. In an instant we were aboard, and in a couple of minutes more
had shoved off, and were out in the channel of the river.
"Give her her head!" called Torrence to one of his men. "We have lost
time, and must make it up!"
We were soon shoving down the stream at a tremendous pace; the ghostly
houses on either side rushing by, and giving me a happy sense of relief
after our scary adventure.
"I'm glad we're free at last!" I said, cuddling up to Torrence in the
stern of the boat.
"Don't crow before you're cut of the woods!" he answered. "We shan't be
safe until we're in the air ship, above the heads of all of them!"
"Not knowing who the _them_ are, I'm not in a position to disagree with
you!" I answered.
"Nor to agree with me, either," said he; "but wait 'till we're up in the
clouds; then I'll tell you all about it."
The launch trembled under the pressure of steam put upon her. The grim
docks, just showing their heads through the darkness, and the black
swirling water beneath, made it seem as if we were rushing down some
giant millrace. It was the stillest hour of night, and Torrence said we
must make Gravesend before dawn, which at that season of the year, would
not be long in coming.
As usual, a tremendous fog came piling in from the sea, as we swept down
the river; and before reaching our landing, we were enveloped in a dense
cloud-like vapor which wet us to the skin. Luckily our pilot knew his
business, and I believe that with points of the compass given, and
revolutions of the screw, he could have landed us with his eyes shut.
However that may have been, we got there without an accident; and when
ready to go ashore, I saw Torrence put a pile of money into the hands of
each of the men; at the same time, he said:
"Boys, she's yours! I shall never want her again!"
Then leading the way with his lantern, we hastened forward toward
Wetherbee's barn.
The air was thick, and the road difficult to find, but we stumbled along
without a word, until reaching an old fence, where Torrence suddenly
stopped.
"We are nearly there," he said, putting his hand on my shoulder, and
speaking impressively. "The air ship is ready to carry us aloft at a
touch from my hand; but for certain reasons which I cannot now explain,
there is an obstacle in the way of our leaving which we must overcome
before the approach, of dawn. It is this. The barn is surrounded by a
force of armed men, whose object is to prevent our escape. I will tell
you all about this as soon as we are out of their reach; meanwhile, if
you, Gurt, will stand by me, and do exactly as I say, we shall outwit
them. No human being in this wide world understands the mechanism of
this thing but me. At this hour we may reasonably expect those
lubberheads to be asleep. We must crawl in among them stealthily, climb
up into the machine and be off before one of them suspects that anything
is wrong. If by any accident they should be aroused and attempt to
detain us, why I intend to plow through them like a reaper in a wheat
field. There are, however, two points in this programme which must be
carefully observed, and adopted if necessary. The first is, if we are
suspected, drop immediately on the ground, and assume to be one of the
watchers by feigning sleep, and a due suspicion of the others. Second,
if we find them awake and recognizing us, fight if necessary; but reach
the air ship under any circumstances, for once in it we can plow them
down like chaff. Whatever you do, be sure and take your cue from me,
and follow close upon my heels."
Torrence blew out the light, and threw the lantern away as a useless
encumbrance, and we plodded along through the dark. I confess that my
anticipation of trouble did not put me in the most cheerful frame of
mind, but I resolved to do my best and stand by my leader at all
hazards. Presently we climbed a fence and I knew that I was in
Wetherbee's field; the one in which the barn stood. We moved stealthily
on, over a grassy sod, and once, as I looked aloft, thought I saw the
faint flickering of a star, and called Torrence's attention to it as a
good omen.
"We don't want any stars to-night," he whispered; "the denser the fog
the better."
Suddenly he stopped.
"We are there!" he said; "now remember!"
We felt our way with utmost caution among the sleeping bodies around us,
examining the ground carefully with each foot before setting it down.
Our progress was naturally slow, but after awhile I saw the dark outline
of the barn looming up through the fog, in the first faint intimation of
approaching dawn. We were getting along famously, and beginning to
congratulate ourselves upon our success, when Torrence reached for my
hand and then with his mouth against my ear, said:
"Now, be doubly careful; we are about to enter the building. They are
thick as hail upon the floor!"
We crept slowly forward among legs and arms. A dozen men were snoring
around us, and one fellow turned over, muttering something in his sleep,
as my boot brushed against his shoulder. The ladder was gained. We
climbed up the side of the great machine without a sound, and took our
places within, as best we could in the darkness. Again Torry's mouth
was at my ear.
"I must wait a minute," he said, "until my eyes become accustomed to the
light. As soon as I can see the outlines a little better we are off!"
The silence was only broken by the breathing of the sleeping men around
us. I was in an agony of suspense fearing there would be some hitch at
the last--something wrong about the machine which might prevent its
rising. The time seemed eternal. But the great open end of the barn was
growing in clearness of outline. The fog was friendly; but the dawn was
approaching. Again my brother's hand was upon my shoulder.
"Now brace yourself!" he said; "we are going!"
The air ship trembled. It was a sensation never experienced before.
The vibrations seemed to pass through the innermost fibers of my being.
I felt that we were being lifted in the air, and then that we were
slowly floating out at the open end of the barn.
There was a shout and a curse and a call to arms. Noiseless as our
movements had been, the men were aroused, and in an instant a score of
voices were calling and yelling in every direction:
"Stop thief! Surround the barn! Where are they?"
A hideous medley of curses, groans, and sounds of fighting rose through
the darkness from every quarter of the field; but the air ship was far
above, and hidden from eight in the dense gloom of the morning fog.
"Let them fight it out among themselves," said Torrence, drawing a long
sigh of relief; "we shall never see them again!"
We rose steadily and slowly for several minutes, Torrence saying it
would be necessary to be well above the houses, as we were going to pass
directly over London and must take no risk of a collision in the
darkness. Presently I could feel that we were sweeping ahead. The
movement was perfect, and as we sped rapidly forward through the dense
atmosphere, catching an occasional glint of a street lamp below, all
sense of fear departed. The trembling had ceased; and I felt as though
we were floating rapidly away on the breast of a cloud, or upon, the
back of some monstrous bird; only here there was no effort. It was the
only element comprehended. I could imagine nothing more sublime, more
exhilarating. It was the absolutely finished poetry of flight. Beyond
this, there was a feeling of safety far surpassing that of earthly
locomotion, possibly due to the knowledge that we were lifted clear
above all obstacles; that no uncertain switch, or ill-timed train could
affect us. On we swept, in an ecstasy of rapture, realizing neither our
speed nor place, engrossed only with the novelty of our situation, and
watching the coming dawn.
Suddenly a great, dazzling object not twenty yards away flashed past us.
"_Great God!_" exclaimed Torrence, rising, "I thought I was too high for
that."
"What was it?" I asked in amazement.
"The cross on top of St. Paul's!"
We had narrowly missed it, and caught sight of it, just as it reflected
the first rays of the rising sun, in a rift of the fog, and just as I
was congratulating myself upon being above every earthly object. But it
was a clear miss and no harm done.
Presently the fog cleared and we looked down upon the great city of
London speeding away below.
"And where are we going, old man?" I inquired at last, hardly able to
contain myself with the strange delight of this new sensation of flying.
"To the North Pole!" said Torrence, holding fast to his levers, screws,
and steering apparatus.
*IX.*
With the rising of the sun the fog cleared, and the great city of London
was spread out away beneath us. It was a sight I can never forget, and a
sensation unequalled by any previous experience. Patches of smoke
blocked out large areas of the metropolis, but there was promise of a
day of rare, Spring-like beauty. As we floated aloft, above the smoke
and grime, through an atmosphere of translucent purity, we watched with
interest the shifting masses beneath, and drank in with delight the
marvelous scene. On and on we flew, at one moment unscreened from the
streets and houses of the city, at, the next catching only occasional
glimpses of a tower or steeple piercing an earthward cloud, like the
finger of a submarine monster pointing heavenward. But far to the north
the smoke had vanished, and the green fields of Spring would soon be
under us. It was a dream of bliss, transcending the power of words to
picture, or the imagination of man to conceive.
"It makes me shudder," said Torrence, "to think of what a narrow escape
we had just now. A few feet more to the left and we would have banged
into St. Paul's cross!"