A town full uh men--and you stand back and let one crazy--" Tom had heard Mrs.McGrew voice her opinion of the male population of Sunset on certain previous occasions.

He left her at that point, and went back to the group across the street.
At length Sandy, whose imagination had been developed somewhat beyond the elementary stage by his reading of romantic fiction, suggested luring Ford into the liquor room by the simple method of pretending an assault upon him by way of the storeroom window, which could be barred from without by heavy planks.

Secure in his belief in Ford's friendship for him, Sandy even volunteered to slam the door shut upon Ford and lock it with the padlock which guarded the room from robbery.

Tom took a chew of tobacco, decided that the ruse might work, and donated the planks for the window.
It did work, up to a certain point.

Ford heard a noise in the storeroom and went to investigate, caught a glimpse of Tom Aldershot apparently about to climb through the little window, and hurled a hammer and considerable vituperation at the opening.