It was a silly performance.  No one heard me, and I do not suppose it would have made the slightest difference if they had.  They would not turn the boat around and come back for someone who had no business on board anyway.

Mr. Snider was not in sight.  Had he gone on the steam-boat?  Or crawled through his trap-door underneath the wharf?  I did not know, but I was angry with him.  I felt sure that he had purposely let the boat go without me,—­it was part of their scheme to keep me there, until the people had gone in the afternoon.

Now I should have to go that roundabout way by the road, and get to Lanesport two or three hours late.  There was nothing else to be done, however, so I went up the wharf once more, and started along the road.  At the turn, just beyond the house, I found Mr. Snider, walking up and down with his hands behind his back.  His face was rather red, and he did not attempt to smile.

“Why, James,” he said, “so you lost the boat!  Well, you can take the one this afternoon.”

“I’m going now,” said I, “I’m going to walk.”

And I tried to pass him.  He stepped in front of me.

“Just one moment!” said he, “I would rather you stayed until this afternoon, and then—­”

“Let me go,” I answered, “you promised me I could go on the steam-boat, and then you let it sail without me.”

“James, I am sorry to hear you accuse me—­”

I tried again to dodge by him, but he reached out one of his long arms and grabbed me by the coat-sleeve.  I jerked it out of his grasp however, and jumped to the side of the road and tried to pass him in the gutter.  He headed me off with two strides,—­he couldn’t dodge as quick as I, but his long legs gave him an advantage.  Then I lost my head and threatened him.

“You’d better let me pass,” I said, “I know all about your game here,—­and your trap-door in the wharf!”

His face became pale again in an instant, not white,—­lead color.

“You little brat!” he squeaked, “I’ll wring your neck for you!”

And he made another grab at me.  I dodged again, and a third time, and as I did so caught one foot in the grass, stumbled and fell.  He had me by the coat collar hi a second, and in another second I was out of the coat and running back toward the house.  I did not wish to go there, but I didn’t have time to choose.  The thing to do then was to get away from Mr. Snider.  He dropped the coat and came after me on the run.

He was a good runner, was Mr. Snider, but I knew I could beat him if I had any sort of a start.  His stride was longer, but he couldn’t move as quick.  Besides, he was out of practice.  When I dashed in at the front door he was just coming up the path.  I slammed the door and tried to lock it.  But the bolt was rusty and it stuck.  I gave that up and ran upstairs, two steps at a time.  When I reached the landing I ran along the passage toward the rear in order to get to the stairs to the third storey.  Just as I started up them I heard Mr. Snider burst in at the front door.  On the third storey I had to hunt about a little for the stairs to the attic.  I found them in a moment or two, and ran up into the attic, and hid behind a trunk in a dark corner.