Jerry saw at once that things were growing warm. From the look on his face it was plain to see that Alexander Slocum was in deadly earnest when he said he wanted to see those papers.

His manner made our hero feel that the papers would not be safe in his hands. If he gave them up he might never see them again, and without the documents the claim on the land in California would fall flat.

“Did you hear what I said, Upton? I want you to let me see those papers,” Slocum went on, after a second of intense silence.

“What do you mean by locking that door?” Jerry demanded of the elderly assistant, without paying any attention to the real estate dealer’s words.

Casey made no response. Instead, he took his stand by his employer’s side, as if awaiting further orders.

“You act as if you were afraid of me,” sneered Slocum. “I won’t hurt you.”

“You won’t—not if I can help it,” answered Jerry. “But I want you to unlock that door. I am not to be treated as a prisoner.”

“I only wanted to secure us against interruption. So many agents come up here, and they are a regular nuisance.”

Slocum advanced and held out his hand, as if expecting Jerry would drop the precious papers into it. Instead, the boy retreated and took up a position behind a flat-top desk in the centre of the office.

At this the real estate dealer grew furious behind his well-waxed mustache. He had expected to intimidate our hero easily, and now he was nonplused.

“Are you going to let me see those papers?” he fumed.

“No; at least not now.”

“Why not?”

“I prefer not to answer that question.”

“You think you have a case against me—that you can place me in a tight hole.”

“Well, if all is straight you have nothing to fear.”

“Don’t preach to me, boy. All is straight. I lost my money as well as the others did.”

“This doesn’t look as if you had lost much,” ventured Jerry, as he glanced about the elegant apartment.

“Oh, I have made money since, in a lucky real estate deal in Brooklyn. I won’t keep your papers.”

“I want that door unlocked.”

Slocum muttered something under his breath, and his face grew suddenly red. Like a flash he placed his hands on the flat desk and leaped over it.

“I’ll bring you to terms, you young country fool!” he cried, and made a clutch for Jerry’s collar.

Had our hero not turned like a flash he would have had the lad. But Jerry was on guard and fled to the office door. Raising his foot he gave the barrier a kick that caused it to crack heavily.

“Stop that!”

“I won’t. Let me out, or I’ll kick the door down.”

“Casey, catch the young rascal!” cried Slocum. “I’m going to teach him a thing or two.”

Anxious to obey the command of the man who held him completely under his thumb, Casey ran forward. Seeing him coming, Jerry fled behind a large screen. Here rested a heavy cane, and he picked it up and brandished it over his head.

“Keep back! Advance at your peril.”

“I’m afraid to go near the young fool,” said Casey.

“I’ll fix him. Stand aside. I never yet saw the boy that could get the best of me,” muttered Alexander Slocum.

“He may kill you, Mr. Slocum.”

“I’ll risk it.”

Running around the desk, the real estate dealer came for the young oarsman. As he approached, the boy pushed the screen against him and he went down, with the heavy object on top of him.

“You—you villain!” he spluttered.

To this Jerry made no answer. Taking advantage of the time afforded him, he looked around for some means of escaping his enemies. To remain a moment longer in the office he felt would be perilous in the extreme.

Near the corner to which Jerry had retreated was an open window. Glancing out of it he saw that the roof of the next building was but six or eight feet below the window sill.

Without stopping to think twice, our hero leaped out of the window and on to the roof below.

“Stop! stop!”

Both Slocum and his assistant called after Jerry, but he paid no attention. Leaving the vicinity of the window, he ran along the roof to the rear. Here there was an addition to a tin-shop underneath, and he dropped down and found himself within twelve feet of a narrow alleyway.

“Are you coming back?” bawled Alexander Slocum; and then, as Jerry let himself down over the edge of the roof, he suddenly disappeared from the window.

Guessing he was coming down to head him off, the youth lost no time in dropping to the ground.

Once down, it was an easy matter to gain the street. As he came out on the pavement, Slocum came running up all out of breath.

“You’re a fine boy!” he cried. “Come back to the office, and let us talk matters over.”

“Not to-day,” answered Jerry. “I’ve had enough of a dose for the present.”

“You are making a mistake.”

“I don’t intend to put my head into the lion’s mouth.”

While the two were speaking Casey came up, and, as the two appeared as if they wanted to drag Jerry back into the building just left, the youth retreated.

Alexander Slocum followed for a block, and then gave up the chase. Seeing this, Jerry walked on more leisurely.

Our hero’s visit to the real estate dealer had set him to thinking deeply. The man’s anxiety concerning the papers made the boy feel sure there was more at the bottom of the land speculation than either his parents or he had suspected.

Perhaps the land was still held by this man and was of great value. If this was so how was he to go to work to establish his father’s claim?

Pondering over the affair, the young oarsman thought of Mr. Randolph Islen and of his kindness. He resolved to tell that gentleman his story and see what he would have to say.

This conclusion reached, Jerry felt in his inner pocket to see if the precious papers were still safe. To his horror they were gone.