ant.

Those on the ladder and on the landing who could see up cried:

"Quick, for God's sake! Hurry!"

And in another second the first man had scrambled through the hole,
letting the trapdoor fall upon the head of the scrambling man just under
him. He fell, but Grant caught him, and shoved him into the next turn
upon the ladder.

After that they learned to lift their hands up and catch the trapdoor,
but they could see the flames burning the timbers and dropping sparks
and blowing smoke down the emergency shaft. Ten men went up; the fire in
the flume along the stairs below them was beginning to whip through the
board partition. The fan was pumping the third level full of smoke; it
was carried out of the stairway by the current. But the men were calling
below. Little Ira Dooley tried to go around Grant ahead of his turn at
the ladder. The cheater felt the big man's hand catch him and hold him.
The men below saw Grant hit the cheater upon the point of the jaw and
throw him half conscious under the ladder. The men climbed steadily up.
Twenty-five went through the trapdoor into the unknown hell raging
above. Again and again the ladder emptied itself, as the flames in the
shaft grew longer, and the circle of fire above grew broader. The men
passed through the trapdoor with scorching clothes.

The ladder was filling for the last time. The last man was on the first
rung. Grant reached under the ladder, caught Dooley about the waist and
started up with him. On the ladder Dooley regained consciousness, and
Grant shoved him ahead and saw Dooley slip through the trapdoor and then
stop in the smoke and fire and stand holding up the door for Grant. The
two men smiled through the smoke, and as Grant came through with his
clothes afire, he and Dooley looked quickly about them. Their lights
were out; but the burning timbers above gave them their directions. They
headed down the south passage, but even as they entered it the flames
barred them there. Then they turned to go up the passage, and could hear
men calling and yelling far down in the dark alley. The torches were
gone. Far ahead through the stifling smoke that swirled about the damp
timbers overhead, they could see the flickering lights of men running.
They started to follow the lamps. Dooley, who was a little man, slowly
dropped back. Grant caught his hand and dragged him. Soon they came up
to the others, who paused to give them lights. Then they all started to
run again, h