“No, it doesn’t look reasonable,” Jack admitted.
“You know what we were saying about Ned’s theory?” Frank asked, in a moment.
“You mean our talk about criminals pointing the way to their own destruction by unwise activity in defensive methods? Of course I remember it. If what we suspect is true, though, Ned rather overplayed it in this case, and got caught.”
“We don’t know yet whether he got caught or not. We only know that he is unaccountably missing. Well, what if we accept Ned’s theory here and go with this messenger? If he is on the square he’ll take us to Ned. If he is crooked he’ll take us to people who know why Ned did not return to the cottage.”
“It may be easier to get taken to the people you speak of than to get away from them,” Jack said, dubiously.
“I’m game to try it, anyway,” Frank continued, “but I think we ought to leave one behind at the cottage, for Ned may return, possibly, though I doubt it. Anyway, it will do no harm to leave some one here.”
“Suppose,” suggested Jack, “we don’t leave any one at the cottage, but instruct one of the boys to remain here when we go with this fellow and then follow on immediately, sort of keep track of where we are taken?”
“That’s a fine idea,” Frank replied. “I’ll go with the messenger and take the boys with me. You remain here and see where we go—that is, you remain here when we leave and then trail on after us, like a Sherlock Holmes.”
“I would rather go with you,” Jack replied, “but I’ll do the sleuth act if you prefer to have me. You’ll need a rescuer, all right,” he added, “for Lieutenant Gordon never sent that chap after us. Never in the world.”
The cook soon called the boys to breakfast, but there was not much eaten, greatly to the disgust of the cook. When they left the table the messenger asked if they were ready to go.