The besiegers went down the stairs, and Waddie called up his forces, ready to renew the assault. By the time they reached the ground, I had descended to the roof of the pagoda, where the party could not see me, and where the thick branches of the trees protected me from their missiles. They soon found they were not getting ahead any, and by the advice of Synders they changed their position. With the exception of the colonel, who was too dignified to throw stones, men and boys renewed the assault, and poured a shower of stones upon me. Some of them hit me, and the roof became too warm for me. I dropped down into the summer house for safety. Finding the coast clear,—for the colonel had been forced to retire from the foot of the stairs to avoid the stones,—I rushed down the steps, and ran with all my might towards home. The besiegers had been careless, and I was only too happy to take advantage of their mistake.
I ran as fast as I could over the bridge, following the path by which I had come. I was closely pursued; but I distanced all my enemies. It would be useless for me to go home; for the constable was a man of authority, and I supposed he had been sent for to arrest me, though on what charge I could not conjecture, for Wimpleton senior would not dare to prosecute me in a matter wherein Wimpleton junior would be likely to suffer more than myself. I wished to spare my mother the pain and anxiety of another controversy in the house; and for that reason, as well as because home was not a safe place for me, I made my way to the mill wharf, where I had an old skiff.
I reached this boat without accident, but out of breath with the hard run I had had. Jumping in, I pushed off, and pulled away from the shore. For the present I was safe, for there was no boat in which I could be pursued, nearer than the mansion of Colonel Wimpleton. The constable and his companions did not come down to the wharf after they saw me push off, but returned in the direction of the grove. I rowed out upon the lake, where I could see any boat which might put off after me. I went half way across the lake, and then concluded that my assailants had chosen to wait for my return.
I did not exactly like to return then; it would only be putting my head into the lion’s mouth; and I pulled for Middleport. A sail-boat was near me, in which were several boys, one of whom presently hailed me.
“Is that you, Wolf?” called the speaker, in whom I recognized Tommy Toppleton.
I informed him that it was I.
“I was going over after you,” he added. “Jump aboard—will you?”
I did so, and was glad to find myself among friends, though they were Toppletonians.
“We want you to get that engine out of the water,” continued Tommy.
I saw the tow-boat at the wharf, with steam up, and I promised to do the job before night—in fact, to put it through by daylight.