The Runaway Skyscraper | Page 7

he said reluctantly, "I'll admit we're in a pretty bad fix. I
don't know what has happened, how it happened, or anything about it.
I'm just going to keep on going until I see a way clear to get out of this
mess. There are two thousand of us people, more or less, and among all
of us we must be able to find a way out."
Estelle had turned very pale.
"We're in no great danger from Indians," went on Arthur thoughtfully,
"or from anything else that I know of--except one thing."
"What is that?" asked Estelle quickly.
Arthur shook his head and led her back toward the skyscraper, which

was now thronged with the people from all the floors who had come
down to the ground and were standing excitedly about the concourse
asking each other what had happened.
Arthur led Estelle to one of the corners.
"Wait for me here," he ordered. "I'm going to talk to this crowd."
He pushed his way through until he could reach the confectionery and
news-stand in the main hallway. Here he climbed up on the counter and
shouted:
"People, listen to me! I'm going to tell you what's happened!"
In an instant there was dead silence. He found himself the center of a
sea of white faces, every one contorted with fear and anxiety.
"To begin with," he said confidently, "there's nothing to be afraid of.
We're going to get back to where we started from! I don't know how,
yet, but we'll do it. Don't get frightened. Now I'll tell you what's
happened."
He rapidly sketched out for them, in words as simple as he could make
them, his theory that a flaw in the rock on which the foundations rested
had developed and let the skyscraper sink, not downward, but into the
Fourth Dimension.
"I'm an engineer," he finished. "What nature can do, we can imitate.
Nature let us into this hole. We'll climb out. In the mean time, matters
are serious. We needn't be afraid of not getting back. We'll do that.
What we've got to fight is--starvation!"

V.
"We've got to fight starvation, and we've got to beat it," Arthur
continued doggedly. "I'm telling you this right at the outset, because I
want you to begin right at the beginning and pitch in to help. We have

very little food and a lot of us to eat it. First, I want some volunteers to
help with rationing. Next, I want every ounce of food, in this place put
under guard where it can be served to those who need it most. Who will
help out with this?"
The swift succession of shocks had paralyzed the faculties of most of
the people there, but half a dozen moved forward. Among them was a
single gray-haired man with an air of accustomed authority. Arthur
recognized him as the president of the bank on the ground floor.
"I don't know who you are or if you're right in saying what has
happened," said the gray-haired man. "But I see something's got to be
done, and--well, for the time being I'll take your word for what that is.
Later on we'll thrash this matter out."
Arthur nodded. He bent over and spoke in a low voice to the
gray-haired man, who moved away.
"Grayson, Walters, Terhune, Simpson, and Forsythe come here," the
gray-haired man called at a doorway.
A number of men began to press dazedly toward him. Arthur resumed
his harangue.
"You people--those of you who aren't too dazed to think--are
remembering there's a restaurant in the building and no need to starve.
You're wrong. There are nearly two thousand of us here. That means
six thousand meals a day. We've got to have nearly ten tons of food a
day, and we've got to have it at once."
"Hunt?" some one suggested.
"I saw Indians," some one else shouted. "Can we trade with them?"
"We can hunt and we can trade with the Indians," Arthur admitted, "but
we need food by the ton--by the ton, people! The Indians don't store up
supplies, and, besides, they're much too scattered to have a surplus for
us. But we've got to have food. Now, how many of you know anything

about hunting, fishing, trapping, or any possible way of getting food?"
There were a few hands raised--pitifully few. Arthur saw Estelle's hand
up.
"Very well," he said. "Those of you who raised your hands then come
with me up on the second floor and we'll talk it over. The rest of you
try to conquer your fright, and don't go outside for a while. We've got
some things to attend to before it will be quite safe for you to venture
out. And keep away from the restaurant. There are armed guards over