Then he heard the tapping on his window again, and Mr.Ritchie ran out through the front door.

The fellows who had been doing the trick had just time to drop behind a flower bed.
"I had shaken off the crowd that started after me from Main Street, and had turned the corner down that side street.

As luck would have it, I had just passed the Ritchie gate when Mr.Ritchie opened his front door.

He thought I was the offender, and started after me, yelling to me to stop.

Just for the exercise I kept on running, though not so fast, for I wanted to see how far Mr.Ritchie would chase me.