For an instant I was on the point of following him. Then came the sudden thought that now would be a good chance to escape.
To think was to act. No sooner had the policeman jumped into the doorway than I dodged through the crowd and hurried across the street. Reaching the opposite side, I ran into an alley. It was long and led directly into the back garden of a handsome stone mansion.
The garden was filled with beautiful flowers and plants, and in the centre a tiny fountain sent a thin spray into the air. At one side, under a small arbor, stood a garden bench, and on this sat a little girl playing with a number of dolls.
Her golden hair hung heavy over her shoulders, and she looked supremely happy. She greeted my entrance with a smile, and took me at once into her confidence.
"This is my new dolly," she explained, holding the article up.
"Is it?" I asked, hardly knowing what to say.
"Yes; papa bringed it home yesterday. Does oo like dollies?"
"Oh, yes, nice ones like that. You must have lots of fun. I&—"
I did not finish the sentence. There was a noise in the alley, and the next instant the mad bull came crashing into the garden!
For a second I was too surprised to move or speak. The little girl uttered a piercing scream, and gathering her dolls in her arms huddled into a corner of the bench.