“Better place them in a regular asylum after this,” suggested Jack.
“No asylum for me!” yelled Bart Callax, leaping up. “Good-bye!” And he dove into the bushes.
“Stop him!” cried the teacher, but it was too late. In the excitement Paul Shaff also got away, and that was the last seen of the pair for some time to come.
In the meantime Andy had gone after the runaway horse. As he surmised, the steed had not gone a great distance, and a third of a mile up the road was found in a hollow, quietly cropping the grass. Fortunately the buggy was not damaged in the least, and he had no difficulty in returning to the scene of the encounter with the turnout.
“They came upon me so suddenly that I was taken off my guard,” said the second assistant teacher, when telling his story. “I tried to reason with them and said I would take them to the Hall, but they pulled me from the buggy and dragged me into the wood. They might have killed me if you had not happened along.”
“I am glad to be of service to you,” said Jack. “But if I were you I’d make a strong effort to catch them. They are too dangerous to be left at large.”
“I’ll put some officers of the law on their track,” said the teacher, and this was, later on, done.
“Mr. Strong, perhaps this explains it!” cried Jack, as they were driving back to Putnam Hall.
“Explains what, Ruddy?”
“Those orders for goods sent out in your name. Those crazy men might do something like that?”