An hour later the children had again retired, and the colonel and the young oarsman sat in the little kitchen talking.
“And you say you think Miss Ardell was abducted?” he said.
“I felt sure of it, sir. This Alexander Slocum wants to get her out of the way on account of some property he is holding back from her. I am interested in the same property.”
And Jerry told him the particulars of affairs so far as they concerned Slocum.
“If the land in question is near Sacramento it ought to be of great value,” said the colonel. “Property in that section is booming.”
“I want to find Nellie Ardell, sir. I am afraid he will do her bodily harm. He might even kill her to get her out of the way.”
“I will help you all I can, Upton. You have done me a great service, and I certainly owe the young lady much for taking my child in and caring for her.”
Our hero and the colonel went over the matter carefully for fully an hour and decided to start on a hunt as soon as it grew light. The colonel offered to employ a detective and this offer Jerry readily accepted.
Jerry passed several hours trying to sleep, and at the first sign of dawn was up and dressed. The colonel had rested in an arm-chair, not caring to separate himself from his child by going to a hotel.
Mrs. Flannigan was again called upon and readily agreed to take charge of Tommy and Dottie once more. She took them to her own rooms and was cautioned about letting strangers in.