Part 17 (1/2)

Dan'l whistled, and Peter made a poke at the runner from one side of the wall, while Dan'l made a savage poke from the other.

The boy, who seemed as active as a squirrel, dodged them both, ran along toward the vinery, and as fast as the various trees would allow the two men followed.

Peter was soon out of the race, for a lean-to shed on his side of the wall put a stop to further pursuit, and Dan'l, who looked as malicious as a savage after a wild beast, had the hunt all to himself.

”Ah!” he shouted, as he stopped panting, ”now I've got you, my fine fellow.”

This was untrue, for he was as far off his quarry as ever, he being at the front of the vinery, and the boy on the top of the wall right at the back of the gla.s.s slope.

”Now, then, none o' yer nonsense, and down yer come.”

Down the boy did not come, for he squatted there at the top, in a sitting position, with his arms round his knees, gazing coolly but watchfully at the gardener.

”D'yer hear? come down!”

The Yankee 'c.o.o.n in the tree, when he saw the celebrated Colonel Crockett taking aim at him, and in full possession of the hunter's reputation as a dead shot, is reported to have said, ”Don't shoot; I'll come down;” and the boy might have said something of the kind to Dan'l Copestake. But he had no faith in the gardener, and it is expecting too much of a boy who is seated in a safe place, to conclude that he will surrender at the first summons, especially to a fierce-looking man, who is armed with a very big stick.

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 gla.s.s 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.

Dan'l pushed and poked about, and nearly broke a pane of gla.s.s, but the boy did not stir.

”Oh, very well: only you'd better get down; you'll have it all the worse if I do fetch that ladder.”

Still the boy made no sign. He merely glanced to right and left, and could have dashed along the wall at once, but that would have taken him down the garden, toward the river, and that was the direction in which he did not want to go.

To his left there was a portion of the house, the wall rising a good height, so that there was no escape in that direction. His way was either by the garden wall, or else down the slope of the vinery, as he had gone up.

But, like a lion in his path, there at the foot of this slope stood Dan'l, with the great clothes-prop, and the boy, concluding that he was best where he was, sat and stared at the gardener, and waited.