He reached the roof and paused there to wave his hand at his chums. Then he made his way up the slope and soon reached the top. He gripped the chimney and reached for the ball. Meanwhile, his chums had been watching his movements with such interest that they did not hear the stealthy steps of Jacob Fish until he was nearly upon them. Then he jumped round the side of the house, his grizzled whiskers quivering with anger. He shook his fist at Garry. "What are you doing there, you young scamp?" he shrilled. "You get off my roof!" CHAPTER V Into Empty Space Garry Grayson obeyed the command of Mr. Fish, but not in the way that the man had intended he should. He had dislodged the pigskin and was slipping cautiously down the roof to the ladder when the rasping cry of the old fellow startled him and made him lose his balance. He slipped, tried to recover himself, overbalanced in the other direction, and fell, rolling over and over toward the edge of the roof! With a yell of alarm, Bill, Rooster, Nick, and Ted rushed around to the spot where Garry seemed destined to fall. Jacob Fish himself was alarmed, for, much as he hated the young folks of the vicinity, he had had no idea of precipitating a fall. As for Garry, the nightmare moment of losing his balance and that swift descent to the gutter of the roof seemed to occupy an eternity of time. His clutching hands gripped empty air. He was utterly powerless to prevent the fall that must follow. He breathed a prayer, braced himself, felt all solid substance give way beneath him! Then he became conscious of the branches of a great tree that rushed up swiftly toward him, as though to strike him in the face. Instinctively Garry reached out and his clutching fingers caught something that bent and gave beneath his weight but did not break. It was a stout branch of an old cedar tree that grew close beside the house. Garry hung on with all the strength of his lithe young arms and drew himself into a safer position nearer the trunk, where he sat panting and marveling at his narrow escape. Almost simultaneously with his first slip the football that he had pushed from the chimney had come down near the house, bouncing plump on Jacob Fish's bald head. At this indignity the old man's rage broke all bounds, and not having Garry within reach to sate his vengeance, he made a dash for the other boys, who promptly took to their heels, having first assured themselves that Garry was safe in the tree. "And they leave me to face the music!" muttered Garry. "Just wait till I get hold of them!" He had started to descend to the ground when the raucous voice of Jacob Fish halted him abruptly. The old man was fairly boiling over with rage. That a despised football should have descended upon his head was the crowning insult. It was past bearing. He shook his fist at Garry. His eyes glared at him.