Slocum muttered something under his breath, and his face grew suddenly red. Like a flash he placed his hands on the flat desk and leaped over it.
“I’ll bring you to terms, you young country fool!” he cried, and made a clutch for Jerry’s collar.
Had our hero not turned like a flash he would have had the lad. But Jerry was on guard and fled to the office door. Raising his foot he gave the barrier a kick that caused it to crack heavily.
“I won’t. Let me out, or I’ll kick the door down.”
“Casey, catch the young rascal!” cried Slocum. “I’m going to teach him a thing or two.”
Anxious to obey the command of the man who held him completely under his thumb, Casey ran forward. Seeing him coming, Jerry fled behind a large screen. Here rested a heavy cane, and he picked it up and brandished it over his head.
“I’m afraid to go near the young fool,” said Casey.
“I’ll fix him. Stand aside. I never yet saw the boy that could get the best of me,” muttered Alexander Slocum.
Running around the desk, the real estate dealer came for the young oarsman. As he approached, the boy pushed the screen against him and he went down, with the heavy object on top of him.
To this Jerry made no answer. Taking advantage of the time afforded him, he looked around for some means of escaping his enemies. To remain a moment longer in the office he felt would be perilous in the extreme.
Near the corner to which Jerry had retreated was an open window. Glancing out of it he saw that the roof of the next building was but six or eight feet below the window sill.
Without stopping to think twice, our hero leaped out of the window and on to the roof below.
Both Slocum and his assistant called after Jerry, but he paid no attention. Leaving the vicinity of the window, he ran along the roof to the rear. Here there was an addition to a tin-shop underneath, and he dropped down and found himself within twelve feet of a narrow alleyway.
“Are you coming back?” bawled Alexander Slocum; and then, as Jerry let himself down over the edge of the roof, he suddenly disappeared from the window.
Guessing he was coming down to head him off, the youth lost no time in dropping to the ground.
Once down, it was an easy matter to gain the street. As he came out on the pavement, Slocum came running up all out of breath.