Catching my breath, I took a big leap, and——
Bang!
He had been as good as his word.
I thought a swarm of bees were flying around my head.
But I had taken a second leap just in the nick of time, and, unharmed, escaped the shower of big buckshot which would have riddled my body, had not I been so quick.
A third and fourth leap, and then I took to my heels.
The fence barred my way.
And the gardener and his companion were close behind me. I made no attempt to go out of the gate. Nor did I waste time in climbing the fence.
I ran toward it for all I was worth, and bounded over it on the fly, alighted safely on the other side, and then went down the road like a streak of greased lightning.
"After him!—after him!—I can attend to these two!" I heard an excited voice yell, and the two men obeyed the order.