er.

With a cry, the man fell back into the arms of the one directly behind
him, and that fellow was upset, so that all were swept in a great crash
to the foot of the stairs.

"Perhaps that will hold you for a while!" muttered Frank, as he picked
up the iron bar and promptly closed the door at the head of the stairs.

He had seized the bar because he thought it might be a good weapon of
defense in case his revolvers should be emptied and he remained in
condition to fight. Now he thought of something else, and decided that
the bar might do for a prop at the door.

"There ought to be some other way out of this room," he muttered. "Isn't
there even a window?"

Again he struck a match, looking around with the aid of its light.

At the end of the long room in which he found himself he fancied he must
find a window. Toward this end of the room he hurried, and another match
disclosed to him a window that was hidden by heavy planking. Plainly the
planks had been spiked over the window after it was decided to hold June
a prisoner in that room.

Down dropped the match, and instantly Frank attacked the planks with the
iron bar.

Fortune must have favored him, for had it been light he could not have
been more successful. Every stroke was effective, and he began ripping
off the planks.

There was wild excitement below, and Merry prayed for a little time. His
heart was filled with a hope that Handsome Charley's fate would be a
warning to others, so they would not be eager to rush up the stairs to
the door.

In just about one minute he had torn the planks from the window.

Once more he heard men ascending the stairs. Instantly he dashed across
the floor, finding the door in the darkness.

"Halt!" he cried savagely, from behind the closed door. "Halt, or I
fire!"

Then he sought to prop the door with the iron bar, pressing it down in
such a position that it might hold for some moments against an ordinary
attack upon it.

"I'll shoot the first man who tries to open this door!" he shouted.

But he did not remain there to await an 