第37章 A Narrow Escape(2)

Rob put on the Character Marking Spectacles and looked at him. Th. letters "E," "W" and "C" were plainly visible upon the composed. respectable looking brow of his companion.

"Evil, wise and cruel," reflected Rob, as he restored the spectacle. to his pocket. "How easily such a man could impose upon people. T. look at him one would think that butter wouldn't melt in his mouth!"He decided to part company with this chance acquaintance and, risin. from his seat, strolled leisurely up the walk. A moment later, o. looking back, he discovered that the old gentleman had disappeared.

He walked down State Street to the river and back again, amused by th. activity displayed in this busy section of the city. But the tim. he had allowed himself in Chicago had now expired, so he bega. looking around for some high building from the roof of which h. could depart unnoticed.

This was not at all difficult, and selecting one of many stores h. ascended by an elevator to the top floor and from there mounted a. iron stairway leading to the flat roof. As he climbed this stairwa. he found himself followed by a pleasant looking young man, who als. seemed desirous of viewing the city from the roof.

Annoyed at the inopportune intrusion, Rob's first thought was to g. back to the street and try another building; but, upon reflecting tha. the young man was not likely to remain long and he would soon b. alone, he decided to wait. So he walked to the edge of the roof an. appeared to be interested in the scenery spread out below him.

"Fine view from here, ain't it?" said the young man, coming up to hi. and placing his hand carelessly upon the boy's shoulder.

"It is, indeed," replied Rob, leaning over the edge to loo. into the street.

As he spoke he felt himself gently but firmly pushed from behind and. losing his balance, he plunged headforemost from the roof and whirle. through the intervening space toward the sidewalk far below.

Terrified though he was by the sudden disaster, the boy had still wi. enough remaining to reach out his right hand and move the indicator o. the machine upon his left wrist to the zero mark. Immediately h. paused in his fearful flight and presently came to a stop at . distance of less than fifteen feet from the flagstones which ha. threatened to crush out his life.

As he stared downward, trying to recover his self-possession, he sa. the old gentleman he had met on the Lake Front standing just belo. and looking at him with a half frightened, half curious expressio. in his eyes.

At once Rob saw through the whole plot to kill him and thus secur. possession of his electrical devices. The young man upon the roof wh. had attempted to push him to his death was a confederate of th. innocent appearing old gentleman, it seemed, and the latter had calml. awaited his fall to the pavement to seize the coveted treasures fro. his dead body. It was an awful idea, and Rob was more frightened tha. he had ever been before in his life--or ever has been since.

But now the shouts of a vast concourse of amazed spectators reache. the boy's ears. He remembered that he was suspended in mid-air ove. the crowded street of a great city, while thousands of wondering eye. were fixed upon him.

So he quickly set the indicator to the word "up," and mounted sky-war. until the watchers below could scarcely see him. They he fled awa. into the east, even yet shuddering with the horror of his recen. escape from death and filled with disgust at the knowledge that ther. were people who held human life so lightly that they were willing t. destroy it to further their own selfish ends.

"And the Demon wants such people as these to possess his electrica. devices, which are as powerful to accomplish evil when in wrong hand. as they are good!" thought the boy, resentfully. "This would be . fine world if Electric Tubes and Records of Events and Travelin. Machines could be acquired by selfish and unprincipled persons!"So unnerved was Rob by his recent experiences that he determined t. make no more stops. However, he alighted at nightfall in the country. and slept upon the sweet hay in a farmer's barn.

But, early the next morning, before any one else was astir, he resume. his journey, and at precisely ten o'clock of this day, which wa. Saturday, he completed his flying trip around the world by alightin. unobserved upon the well-trimmed lawn of his own home.