But the crowd made one mistake.
They did not know that Leo, as an acrobat, was used to making lightning-like movements whenever necessary.
His profession now stood him in good stead.
As he came down he had no chance to use his feet.
But his hands and arms were ready, and like a flash he turned a handspring and swept out of the way just as the ponderous locomotive rolled past.
The monster brushed his left leg, but he was unharmed, and in a second more had reached the platform on the opposite side of the street.
Although attacked so unexpectedly, Leo did not lose his presence of mind.
"That was that rascal"s work!" he muttered to himself.
Reasoning that the man would try to escape from the scene, the young gymnast rushed down the stairs into the street.
He was right; for scarcely was the pavement touched than he beheld Griswold on the opposite side walking along at a rapid gait.
"Stop!"
Griswold looked around in horror. His intended victim was not dead! In abject fear he took to his heels as though Leo"s ghost was on his track.
Up one side street and down another dashed man and boy, until, coming to an avenue, the man boarded a street car and was lost to view.
"The villain!" muttered Leo, as he slowed up to catch his breath. "I must be on my guard in the future."
He hunted around and brushed up his clothes. Then, as there seemed nothing else to do, he walked to where he had left his friends.
Here he told his story to Carl, who listened in amazement.
"He is certainly after your life," said Carl. "In the future you ought to go armed."
"I wonder if he can be hired by any one in Hopsville?" mused Leo.
"That remains to be seen."
"I"m going to capture him the next time we meet," concluded Leo, with a determined look in his outspoken face.
Mart also heard about the attack and came to Leo full of fear.
"Oh, Leo, do be careful in the future," he pleaded. "What if that bad man should take your life!"
Two days pa.s.sed, and as the young gymnast neither saw nor heard of Griswold, he began again to feel a bit easier in mind.
But one afternoon, while walking in the vicinity of the lake, Leo"s attention was attracted to a small steam tug which was tying up at a wharf.
"Look! look!" he shouted to Carl, who was with him. "It is Griswold, and Broxton, who was discharged from the circus for drunkenness, is with him."
"Shall I call a policeman?"
"Yes. I"ll watch them."
Carl hurried off. Ere he had taken a dozen steps Griswold caught sight of Leo and whispered something the young gymnast could not catch.
Both rascals were on the point of leaving the steam tug, but now they changed their minds and ordered the captain to cut loose and move on.
"Stop!" called out Leo, and ran to the edge of the wharf.
"Go to thunder!" muttered Broxton.
"We"re not to be caught to-day," added Hank Griswold.
In another second the steam tug was clear of the stringpiece of the wharf.
Leo hesitated not a moment, but, taking a flying leap, landed on her forward deck. With angry yells Griswold and Broxton rushed on him.
"We"ve got him now!" said the former. "Down the lake with you, captain, and be quick!"
"Stop the tug, those men are criminals," said Leo.
The tug captain paid no attention. He was in the pay of the other men.
Griswold had a stick in his hand, and now he aimed a savage blow at Leo"s head.
The young gymnast warded it off as well as he was able, but he was no match for both men, and soon they had him down.
"A rope!" roared Griswold, and when it was brought he and Broxton and one of the tug hands proceeded to bind Leo"s hands and feet.
This accomplished, the young gymnast was thrown into a dark locker. The door was shut and locked upon him, and the tug proceeded on her way at full steam.
CHAPTER x.x.xVII.-THE CAPTURE OF GRISWOLD.
"What will you do with him?"
It was Broxton who asked the question.
He and Griswold, with whom he had struck up an acquaintanceship by accident, sat in the little cabin of the steam tug which was flying down Lake Michigan at her utmost speed.
The rascally fellow referred of course to Leo, who still lay bound in the dark locker.
"I"ve got a good mind to tie a weight to his neck and heave him overboard," growled Griswold.
"It won"t do to let him go free, that"s certain. He would have us both locked up at the first chance."