The trio went on with their preparations to leave the asylum.  
Old King Brady was powerless to prevent it.
 
Moreover, he had all he could do now to keep out of sight and assure his own safety.
 
It was long past midnight.
 
What had become of Harry?
 
It seemed full time for him to return. Yet he did not come.
 
Old King Brady knew that it would require some time to arouse the neighbors and organize a relief band.
 
But yet, it would seem that this had already ought to have been accomplished.
 
Old King Brady grew nervous.
 
He was half tempted to essay the conflict single handed. But he knew that it could only result in failure.
 
So he tried to remain patient and hopeful. The trio were now all ready to leave the asylum.
 
Yet Harry did not return.
 
A fear came to the old detective that some mishap might have overtaken the young detective.
 
The three crooks now took their leave. Old King Brady felt the hands of his watch.
 
It was two o’clock.
 
He heard the crooks leave by way of the big front door. He did not dare to follow them.
 
But he was consoled with one reflection.
 
It might not be difficult to overtake them when Harry should arrive, for the trio had no snowshoes and must leave a plain trail.
 
So the old detective was patient.
 
It was half-past three before the long-looked-for summons came. The dogs were confined, so they gave no warning.
 
But there came a loud knock on the door.
 
Scraggs, who had retired to sleep, scrambled out of bed and thrust his head out of a window.
 
“Who is it?” he asked. “And what do you want?”
 
“It’s yer neighbor,” said the voice of Paine, the farmer. “Come down, Scraggs, we want to see ye!”
 
“What do you want?” demanded the asylum keeper.
 
“You’ll find out when you git down hyar.”
 
“Well, I’m not to be aroused from my bed at this hour of the night,” replied Scraggs, angrily. “If you want to see me, come around in the daytime.”
 
“We want to see ye now,” insisted Paine.
 
“Well, you won’t see me!” replied Scraggs, hotly. “Get off my premises or I’ll fire on you!”
 
“No, ye won’t!” gritted the angry farmer. “Ye’ve run your rig hyar, Scraggs. We air goin’ to run you out of this kentry. If ye don’t come down we’ll come up after ye!”
 
“Curse you! What does this mean?”
 
“Come down!”
 
Scraggs closed the window and then went down to the door. He met John Paine backed by a score of armed men.
 
These pushed by Scraggs and entered the asylum.
 
They instantly took possession of the place.
 
Harry Brady was foremost and gave directions what to do.
 
Scraggs was stunned.
 
“Look here!” he cried. “This is an outrage. I’m a peaceable, law-abiding citizen, and——”
 
“Oh, come off!” cried one of the invaders. “You’re a swindling old hypocrite, you are!”
 
“Where are those crooks who came up here yesterday?” asked Harry. “I mean Burke, Collins and Van?”
 
Scraggs looked desperate.
 
“I don’t know ’em!” he said.
 
“Come now, that lie won’t save you. Search the place, men! We’ll find them and——”
 
Harry ceased talking. Old King Brady had appeared.
 
In a moment the two detectives were comparing notes.
 
“I reached Paine’s all right,” said Harry, “and the girl is safe. It took a long while to get these men together.”
 
“Too bad!” said Old King Brady. “For our birds are gone!”
 
“Gone?” gasped the young detective.
 
“Yes.”
 
“Where?”
 
“For the nearest railway station. But I think we can overtake them.”
 
“We must do so!” cried the young detective. “We have staked too much to lose now.”
 
“You are right we have. But one of our men is still here!”
 
25
“Who?”
 
“Napoleon Blood!”
 
“The old scoundrel! I have the town constable with me. We will arrest him and Scraggs, too.”
 
“Very good!”
 
“Paine will look out for Miss Grimm until we want to take her back to New York. Everything is working all right.”
 
“Splendid! Let us then give chase to the trio at once!”
 
Scraggs was arrested at once and easily frightened into revealing the hiding place of Blood.
 
The latter was handcuffed and left in the care of the constable.
&nbs............