“I don’t think so—not if he was up to receive that telegram Nixon mentioned,” said Jack. “Anyhow, I’m going down and find out. Do you want to come along, Fred?”
“Sure!” was the instant response.
“Find out if the colonel knows anything about my father,” said Randy. And then he added to his brother: “We can stay here and get rid of the remains of this feast.”
“All right,” was Andy’s answer. And then he added in a low tone. “Just the same, I can’t understand why dad didn’t volunteer along with Uncle Dick and Uncle Sam,” and his face wore anything but a pleasant expression.
Leaving the others to dispose of what remained of the feast as they saw fit, Jack and Fred brushed up a bit, and then lost no time in hurrying downstairs and to the main entrance of Colby Hall. Here they found a night watchman on guard.
“You can’t go out this time of night,” said the watchman, following orders.
“We have just received this telegram,” answered Jack, showing the yellow slip; “and we must confer with Colonel Colby at once. The telegram states that he can give us some information we want.”
“Oh, all right, if that’s the case,” said the watchman, and allowed them to pass.
As stated before, the colonel and his family, along with a number of the professors, lived in a building some distance away from the Hall proper. Crossing the campus, the boys noted a light in the colonel’s library, and presented themselves at the door of this place, and knocked.
“Come in,” called out Colonel Colby.