This boy had not the least intention of giving himself up as a prisoner, and he sat and stared at Dan’l, and Dan’l stared at him.
“Do you hear me?” cried Dan’l; but the boy did not move a muscle, he only stared.
“Are you over there, Peter?” shouted Dan’l.
“Ay! All right!”
“You stop there, then, and nip him if he comes your way. I’ll get a ladder, and will soon have him down.”
“All right!” came from Peter again; and the boy’s eyes watched keenly the old gardener’s movements.
“Do you hear what I say!” continued Dan’l. “Am I to fetch that ladder, or will you come down without!”
The boy did not move.
“Let’s see: I can reach you with this here, though,” Dan’l went on. “Not going to have any more of your nonsense, my fine fellow, so now then.”
The boy’s eyes flashed as he saw the gardener come close up to the foot of the glass slope, and reach toward him with the long ash clothes-prop; but he measured mentally the length of that prop, and sat still, for, as he had quickly concluded, the gardener could not, even with his arm fully extended, reach to within some feet of where he sat.