.

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

ALEXANDER SLOCUM IS BROUGHT TO BOOK.

In half an hour after the arrest of the pickpocket the young oarsman and
his companions found themselves on the outskirts of Brooklyn and bowling
along a smooth country road which the detectives said they knew well.

On and on they went, until Colonel Dartwell asked the driver how much
further they had to go.

"About half a mile, sir," was the answer.

His words proved correct. Turning into a side road, the carriage came to
the entrance to a large grounds, surrounded by a high board fence.

Over the gateway was the sign:

DR. HALCONE'S PRIVATE SANITARIUM.

"A private lunatic asylum," murmured Colonel Dartwell.

"Yes, sir," said the driver. "You know I told you they said the young lady
was a bit off."

"What shall we do?" was the question put by the westerner to the
detectives. "Shall we go in boldly and order them to produce the girl?"

"Will they do it?" asked Jerry. "They may be in Slocum's pay, and hide her
away."

"The young man is right," said one of the detectives. "We'll drive on a
way and then sneak back and size the place up."

This was done, and five minutes later found the colonel and our hero
walking along a hedge which separated the grounds on one side from a
woods.

"Look there!" Jerry cried suddenly, and pointed to an upper window of the
brick building beyond.

He had seen Nellie Ardell's face as the young lady walked about the
apartment. As the others gazed upward Alexander Slocum appeared. He held a
sheet of paper and a pen in his hands.

"He wants her to sign something," cried our hero in a low voice. "See!
see! he is going to force her."

"Leave me be, Mr. Slocum," those below heard Nellie Ardell exclaim. "I
will not sign off my interest in that property. Leave me be! Oh, that
somebody was at hand to help me!"

"Come on--there is no time to waste!" cried Colonel Dartwell, and pushed
through the hedge.

Jerry followed, and both ran for a side door of the building, which stood
open.

Here they found themselves confronted by a burly man of advanced age,
evidently the proprietor of the sanitarium.

"Here, what do you want here?" he demanded, roughly.

"We want that young lady upstairs!" cried Jerry.

"You can't have her."

"We'll see about that," put in Colonel Dartwell. "You have no authority to
detain her here."

"She is insane, and----"

"Help! help!" came from upstairs, and rushi