"Why, I only wanted a little change to pay my fare to the moon. I'm going there to look for my brother."
"Crazy as a loon," said one of the men.
"Or pretending that he is," added the officer.
"Mark!" cried Jack, pointing at the prisoner, "look!"
"The man who held me captive!" gasped Mark. "And he's wearing my clothes yet! But he's in custody now, and we needn't fear any more from him."
"Unless he gets away," said Jack.
"We'll go tell the chief who he is, and he'll keep him safe," suggested Mark, and they hurried to headquarters, reaching there just before the prisoner was brought in. The boys were assured by the chief that the man, who was evidently a dangerous lunatic, would be kept where he could do no harm. He would be arraigned later on the serious charge of attempted highway robbery, as well as of being a dangerous lunatic at large. When the boys and Andy got back, they found the two professors and Washington still going over the machinery in detail.
"Find anything wrong?" asked Jack, after they had told of the arrest of
Axtell.
"No, but we will have another look in the morning," said Mr. Henderson. "Then, if we find nothing out of order, I think we will take a chance and start."
A thorough inspection by all hands the next day did not disclose anything wrong, and, a test of the motors and other machinery having shown that it was in good working shape, it was decided to leave the earth.