“Well, we can tell Mr. Strong about this, when we get back to Putnam Hall. He can telegraph to the folks who had the men in charge and learn if they have escaped.”
Having rested, the chums retraced their steps to the cottage. They had run into the woods the best part of half a mile, and just before they came in sight of the cottage they met the crippled boy, who had walked after them as well as his condition would permit.
“Did you catch them?” he asked, anxiously.
“No, they ran too fast for us,” answered Jack.
“We might have caught them had it not been that we were tired out from bicycle riding,” explained Andy. “We were in a race. But I guess that’s all over now, eh, Jack?”
“It certainly is so far as we are concerned,” was the acrobatic youth’s answer.
“I saw some boys on wheels ride past, just after you came up,” said the crippled youth. He heaved a deep sigh. “Wish you had caught those two men.”
“Don’t you think they were crazy?” asked Jack.
“To be sure they were—crazy as loons. But I didn’t know that at first. You see I was alone—father and mother went to Ithaca yesterday and they won’t be home till Saturday. Those men came along just as I was locking up to go fishing down to the lake. They came up quietly and didn’t speak until they were right behind me. I can tell you they scared me pretty well with those green masks!”
“What did they do?” asked Andy.