The man with the shattered wrist yelled, cursing wildly: "Here he is--on the ladder! Let him have it! Fill him full of holes!" Jimmie Dale was in the light--they were in the dark of the outer room.
He fired at the threshold, checking their rush--as a hail of bullets chipped and tore at the ladder and spat wickedly against the wall.

He swung through to the roof, trying, as he did so, to kick the ladder loose behind him.

It was fastened! The three gunmen jumped into the room--from the roof Jimmie Dale got a glimpse of them below, as he flung himself clear of the opening.

Bullets whistled through the aperture--a voice roared up as he gained his feet: "Come on! After him! The whole place is alive, but this lets us out.
We can frame up how we came to be here easy enough.

Never mind the old geezer there any more! Get the Gray Seal--the reward that's out for him is worth twice the sparklers, and--" Jimmie Dale hurled the cover over the scuttle.