He leaped back and the stuff descended in front of him and raised a cloud of dust.
"What do you want here, young man ?" demanded the superintendent of the building as he came forward.
"I am after a boy who just ran in here." "Nobody here that I saw." "He just came in." "We don't allow skylarking around here.

You make yourself scarce," and the superintendent waved Tom away.
"I want to have that fellow arrested--that is why he ran away from me." "Oh, that's a different thing.

Go find him, if you can." The superintendent stepped aside and Tom entered the building.

But the delay had cost him dear, for in the meanwhile Tad Sobber had made good his escape by running back to the next street.

Tom looked around for over quarter of an hour and then gave up the chase.
"It's too bad, but it can't be helped," he mused.