“No,” answered Jerry gently. He thought the old man was still wandering in his faculties.
“Who is Crooked Nose?” asked Ned.
“He is a villain!” exclaimed the Frenchman, whose name, some one said, was Jules Cardon. “He is a villain who tried to rob me of all I had. He got some of my money and some of the jewelry, but the rest I put in the iron box and locked. Then I hid it. But the fire came and I could not find it. Then I remember no more. But if you find Crooked Nose you will catch a great scoundrel, and perhaps find my money and the precious jewelry.”
“Is Crooked Nose a man?” asked Jerry.
“Yes. He came to see me this evening. He knew me in France—many years ago. He demanded money. I would not give it to him, and he said he would take it, or he would—— Well, he made threats. I hid most of the money and the jewelry, but I forgot where I put it when the fire came. Oh, was it burned?”
“Well, if it was left in there I should say it was,” replied Jerry, as he looked at the glowing ruins. “Nothing much left there.”
“But maybe Crooked Nose took it,” suggested Mr. Cardon. “He is a villain.”
“What’s his name?” asked Bob.
The crippled old Frenchman shook his head.
“It would be of no use to tell you,” he said. “He changes his name too often. Crooked Nose, I call him. He can’t change that!”