nce was that as he made a final bound to reach the back wall
his right foot slipped, went through a pane of glass, and as this
startled him more, he made another ill-judged attempt, and, slipping,
went through the top of the vinery, only saving himself from dropping
down inside by spreading his arms across the rafters, and hanging,
caught as if in a trap.

"Here, just you come down!"

Directly after the doctor appeared in the study window, and, closely
followed by Helen, hurried toward the front of the vinery, where the
gardener stood.

CHAPTER NINE.

A RELEASE.

"Glad you've come, sir," said the old gardener, telling a tremendous
fib. "Got one on 'em at last."

"Got one of them?" cried the doctor.

"Why--"

"O papa dear! look!" cried Helen.

"One of them nippers as is always stealing our fruit," continued Dan'l.

"Why, Dexter," cried the doctor; "you there!" He stared wildly at the
boy, who, with his legs kicking to and fro in the vinery in search of
support, looked down from the roof of the building like a sculptured
cherub, with arms instead of wings.

"Yes, it's all right," said the boy coolly. "Ain't much on it broken,"
while Dan'l stared and scratched his head, as he felt that he had made
some mistake.

"You wicked boy!" cried Helen, with a good deal of excitement. "How did
you get in such a position!"

"I couldn't help it," said Dexter. "He chivied me all along the top o'
the wall with that great stick, and there's another chap t'other side.
He was at me too."

"Is this true, Copestake!" cried the doctor angrily.

"Well, yes, sir; I s'pose it is," said the gardener. "Me and Peter see
him a-cuttin' his capers atop o' that wall, and when we told him to come
down, he wouldn't, and fell through our vinery."

"Who was going to come down when you was hitting at him with that big
stick?" said Dexter indignantly.

"You had no business atop of our wall," said the gardener stoutly. "And
now look at the mischief you've done."

"Tut--tut--tut--tut!" ejaculated the doctor.

"Please, sir, I didn't know as he was any one you knew."

"No, no, of course not," said the doctor pettishly. "Tut--tut--tut!
Dear me! dear me!"

"I say, ain't some one coming to help me down?" said Dexter, in an
ill-used tone.

"Yes, yes, of course," said the doctor. "Keep still, sir, or you'll cut
yourself."

"I have cut myself, and it's a-bleeding," said the boy. "Look here, if
one of you goes inside this p