Jim slid his hands our further along the metal pole. His feet were still on the wooden ledge, so he wasn't yet assured that the pole would, in fact, support his weight. As he hung there with both hands firmly around the pole and his feet just over the lip of the ledge, he glanced back and saw Iris standing behind him. Her arms were folded across her chest and her tongue played nervously in the corners of her mouth. He felt like an idiot for trying such a stupid stunt, but he saw no other way out. It was true he had a gun, but even in a shoot out in such a cramped space there would be injuries. He didn't want to put Iris in the crossfire.

He held his breath and let his feet fall from the ledge. Now hanging free, totally at the mercy of the metal pole, he inched along the pole to give Iris room to follow.

"Come on," he whispered.

She reached up and grabbed the pole with one hand while still just inside the doorframe. Looking shaky and apprehensive, she said, "I can't do it."

Jim tried not to do it, but he looked down. The ranch spread out below him and looked like the moving scene from some amusement park ride. He wasn't sure how long his arms would hold up, and he was surprised he was able to hang at all at his age. "Can you reach the door behind you?" he asked ignoring her plea that she couldn't do it.