Escape on the escape

One day I went for a walk with  three of my younger siblings.  We had a very old school in town where we liked to go peek in the windows. It had one of those open ended iron fire escapes that went up to the third floor. Of course the two boys headed  for it immediately, I yelled do NOT go all the way to the top.  It was almost out of my mouth when the younger of the two was , you guessed it, all the way at the top. I ran up and as I was getting to the second flight I saw him trip and begin rolling down the stairs right toward the open gap at the end of the landing. He was facing a two story plunge down to the pavement if I wasn't fast enough. I felt my heart leap into my throat and somehow I got in between him and that drop off. I scooped him up shaking and crying. I am still not sure which of us was the most shaken up. He had a very large red lump on his head but he was alive.  It was time to go home, I knew he wasn't up to much walking so we flagged down the next passing car ( do not try this today) which luckily was a very nice old couple. They drove us all home safely but on the way they totally offended my wounded brother by saying what a cute little girl he was. He bristled and told them in no uncertain terms, "I am not a girl!" He was a very cute little guy.