"That's right! Take him away. This is no place for him. This is a place for barrels. Listen," and the man leaned far out of the window. "He's on the north side, in a room just like the one he was in, only on the top floor. I know! They tried to fool me but I hid in a barrel and I found out. It was a barrel with the hoops off, and I saw them take the king of the cannibal islands away. It's a great joke! I'm a barrel!"
"Is it on the other side?" asked Frank, wanting to be sure.
But the lunatic had shut his window. It was all black and dark again, and the rain and the wind seemed a fitting accompaniment for the sorrow that was in Frank's heart. He came down the ladder.
"What's the matter?" asked his chums, and he told them.
"Let's try the other side. Try the third window from the end, on the top floor," suggested Ned. "It can't do any harm. Maybe the crazy man spoke the truth. Sometimes they do."
"It's worth trying, anyhow," said Bart, and, though Frank did not have much hope, he agreed with his chums.
The ladder was carried around the building. As the boys looked up they saw all the windows were in darkness save one. That one was in the top row, and was the third from the end.
"It's against the rules for any of the patients to have a light in their rooms after nine o'clock," remarked Frank. "I wonder what that means?"
"Perhaps your father placed it there for a signal," suggested Fenn.
"I'm going to see!" exclaimed Frank.