“Go up and bring him down, Synders,” said the colonel to the officer.
“I’ll bring him down,” replied the zealous constable.
But he did not.
I sprang to my feet, leaped out upon the trimmings of the pagoda, and vaulted to the roof almost in the twinkling of an eye—at any rate, before Captain Synders reached the inside of the summer house. The constable looked out of the window at my elevated position. He was too clumsy to follow me, and I felt that I was perfectly safe. From the roof I saw that the branches of the tree were more favorable to my descent than I had supposed, and I found that I could climb into another tree on the same side of the brook as the pagoda. I jumped into the branches of this tree, and began to move down. I found that my gymnastic practice at the Institute, where I had excelled in this department, was of great service to me, and I was quite sure that no man could follow me.
Perching myself on a branch, I paused to examine the situation again. Captain Synders sent the man who had come with him, and who was one of the gardeners, to the foot of the tree to intercept my retreat. I did not purpose to go down that way, but intended, at the right time, to return to the roof of the pagoda, and descend on the other side of the brook. My movement in this direction was only a feint. The colonel expected, doubtless, that I would drop down into the arms of the gardener, and that the chase would be immediately ended; but, seated on the branch, I kept still, and said nothing.
“Are you going down, you scoundrel?” roared the colonel, when he found the plan did not work.
“No, sir, not yet.”
“You are on my grounds, and I will have you arrested as a trespasser,” foamed the colonel.
“You sent for me, sir, and I came at your request.”
“Who sent for you?”