“I am at your service, Major Ruddy,” answered George Strong, with a smile.
“We want to ask you about those insane men,” continued Jack. “We hate to bring the matter up, but something has happened of which we think you should be informed.”
“You mean my relatives, Mr. Shaff and Mr. Callax?” questioned George Strong, quickly, and now he was all attention.
“Yes,” said Andy. “Are they in custody?”
“I think so. I left them in care of a relative in Malone, in the upper part of this state. They went to Malone, you know, after they left Ithaca. The relative, a party named Spelterly, caught them with ease, and he promised me to put them in a private sanitarium. But why do you ask about this? Have you seen or heard of them?”
“We think we have, although we are not sure,” answered Jack, and then he and Andy told of what had occurred at the Chetwood cottage and when the bicycle had broken down. At the recital George Strong shook his head slowly and sorrowfully.
“This looks very much as if they were at large again and up to their old tricks,” he said. “I’ll have to look into it without delay.”
“If you go out to hunt the men up, won’t you let us go with you?” asked Andy.
“Perhaps. But I want to make certain they are at large at first.”
“Well, those men ought to be rounded up, no matter who they are.”