sprang upon the rail, and leaped ashore, as the stern swung
in and grazed the pier. The steamer went on her course; and I saw the
man to whom the waiter had given the tickets assist the frightened Kate
down from the paddle-box.

I was on shore, but so was Tom Thornton.

CHAPTER XVII.

IN WHICH ERNEST OUTFLANKS TOM THORNTON.

MY first impulse, standing on the roof of the store, as the steamer bore
Kate Loraine away from me, was to denounce the timidity of girls in
general, and of the young lady in my charge in particular. I am sorry to
say that, as a rule, I did not think much of girls, though I had a very
high opinion of and regard for Kate; but I am happy to say that a few
years cured the general dislike, and increased the particular
preference.

I was about to mutter something smart and saucy about Kate; but a better
and more charitable thought checked the speech, and I felt that I had
asked too much of her when I required her to jump four feet, over a
chasm of such depth as that which gaped between the steamer and the
building. I suppose I forgot, in my enthusiasm for her safety, that
girls are not used to climbing trees, and promenading on the roofs of
barns. With my second thought I excused her, and blamed myself for
expecting her to take such a leap.

There I was on the roof of a storehouse in Poughkeepsie, while the
steamer was hurrying down the river at the rate of fourteen miles an
hour. If I had separated myself from my fair charge, I had also
separated Tom Thornton from her. The enemy was on my track, not hers,
thus confirming what I had told Kate--that he was after me rather than
her. Though I was not afraid of him, I wanted to keep out of his way,
and give him the slip if I could.

There was a scuttle in the roof, upon which I stood. I raised it a
little, to obtain a view of the interior; but at that moment I heard the
voice of Tom inquiring the way to the roof. While I had been staring at
the retreating steamer, he had entered the building in search of me. I
closed the scuttle, and retired from its vicinity to the end of the
storehouse. Adjoining it there was a one-story building. Throwing the
carpet-bag down, I "hung off," and, repeating the operation, reached
the ground before Tom had made his way to the roof. Fortunately my path
led me down in the rear of the building, and out of the way of the
people, who had been observing me from the ground. Behind this building
I conducted my retrea