Her father, sensing that something had gone wrong with the balloon, had hurried her away to the spot from which the balloon had risen. Arrived there after a wild taxi ride, she had discovered on the instant what had happened. "Some--someone cut the cable with an electric torch!" In vain her eyes searched the sky for the balloon. She was about to hurry away when a hand gripped her arm. "Where would you go?" "Why! I--" Taking one look at the man, she sent forth an involuntary scream. She had seen that man before. He carried a knife in his sleeve. She was terribly afraid. Her scream had electrifying results. A huge bulk of a youth with tangled red hair emerged from somewhere. "Here you!" he growled, "Let her go!" Releasing the girl, the small dark man sprang at her protector. "Look out!" the girl screamed. "He--he has a knife!" Her warning was not needed. The little man's knife went coursing through the air. Next instant the little man followed it into the dark. The big fellow's fists had done all this. "Now, sister," the young giant turned to Beth, "where was it you wanted to go?" "The--the Skidmore Building." "The Skidmore? O.K." Fairly picking her up, he rushed her to the taxi that was waiting for her, then climbed in beside her. "Skidmore Building. Make it snappy!" Once in the taxi and speeding away, Beth was able to collect her thoughts. There was, at the top of the tall Skidmore Building, a searchlight. This was not always in operation, but was held in readiness for any emergency either on the water or in the air. If only she could get that light searching the air for the runaway balloon something, she felt sure, could be done about it. The taxi came to a sudden jarring halt. "Here you are!" "Here." She dropped a half dollar in the taxi driver's hand. At the same instant something was pressed into the palm of her left hand. She looked up. Her powerful young protector was gone. In her hand was a card. A moment later as she shot toward the stars in an elevator she looked at that card and smiled. "Gunderson Shotts, 22 Diversey Way" it read. And in the lower right hand corner, "Everybody's Business." She smiled in spite of herself as she murmured, "Gunderson Shotts, Everybody's Business. What a strange calling!" * * * * * * * * At that same moment Johnny was going over the side into the dark. It was strange, this adventure. "Must be careful," he told himself. And indeed he must. Dark waters awaited him. A drop from that height would probably kill or at least maim him. "No chance," he murmured. The bright lights of the city called to him from afar. He had seen much of that bright and terrible city; had meant to see much more. "Must see it all," he told himself. "But now I must forget it," he resolved. And surely he must, for now he was beneath the basket. The tiny finger of light from his electric torch shot about here and there.