“Just touch your feet, Dick!” Darrin called coolly.  “Then stand holding to the pole until I get down into the balcony.”

Dick obeyed as one who could no longer think for himself.

This done, Dave slipped down the spire’s slope, by the aid of the rope, until his feet touched the balcony’s floor.  Now he stood with upturned face and arms uplifted.

“Use the rope and come down, Dick,” hailed.  Darrin softly.  “I’m here to catch you, if you need it.”

Down came Prescott, holding to the rope, but helped more by Dave’s loyal arms.

“Help Prescott inside, you two,” Dave ordered sharply.  Then, after the men inside the spire top had obeyed, Dave swung himself in.  He left the rope fastened above, for whoever cared to go and get it.

Mr. Macey, ashen faced and shaking, stared at Dick in a sort of fascination.

“I—–­I got it,” said Dick, when he could control his voice.  “Here it is, safe in my pocket.”

“I forgot to ask,” rejoined Mr. Macey tremulously.  “I’m sick of that bauble.  Ever since you started aloft, Prescott, I’ve been calling myself all sorts of names for being a party to this thing.”

“Why, it’s all right,” laughed Dick, only a bit brokenly.  “It was easy enough—–­with a fellow like Dave to help.”

“Did he go up the flagstaff, too?” demanded Mr. Macey, opening his eyes wider.

“No,” declared Darrin promptly.  “Prescott did it.”

“But good old Dave was right at hand to help,” Dick contended staunchly.

“Get yourselves together, boys.  Then we’ll get down out of here,” urged Mr. Macey.  “I haven’t done anything, but I feel as though I’d be the one to reel and faint.”

“Take this scarf, now, please,” begged Dick, holding open his coat.

The real estate man looked over the bauble that had placed two manly lives in such desperate jeopardy.  The fabric was much torn, but all the precious stones still appeared to be there.

Mr. Macey folded the scarf and placed it in one of his own inner pockets.

“Now, let us get down out of here,” begged the real estate man.  “This place is giving me the horrors.”

“You can start ahead, sir,” laughed Dave.  “But we want time to put our shoes on.”

Two or three minutes later the four started below, going slowly over the ladder part of the route.  When they struck the winding staircase they went a bit more rapidly.

Down in the street it seemed to the watchers as though ages had passed since the two boys had been seen going inside from the iron balcony.

But now, at last, Herr Schimmelpodt heard steps inside, so he threw open the heavy door at once.

As Dick and Dave came out again into the sunlight what a mighty roar of applause and cheering went up.

Then Herr Schimmelpodt, advancing to the edge of the steps, and laying one hand over his heart, bowed profoundly and repeatedly.