“Well--I’m hanged!” exclaimed Kearns. “Mad,” he added with conviction, “mad as March hares.” “You see what comes of ill-advised asperity!” remarked Dean reprovingly. “Instead of soothing these two unfortunate madmen, you have thrown them into a condition of excitement. Your impetuosity has reacted upon them. You have sent them flying--running amuck--and God knows what may happen to any unfortunate who crosses their path!” “But did you ever know of such impudence?” cried Kearns, still angry. “I civilly ask these louts the direction of the main road and where I can hire a horse and carriage; they laugh in my face; invite me to ride on a pitchfork! Things have come to a pretty pass if every lunatic one meets thinks he has full license to be as impudent as he pleases. And they acted as if they thought we were crazy, confound them!” “It’s a common delusion of crazy folks to imagine everyone is crazy except themselves,” said the Professor. “Yes; that’s very true! I’ve noticed that!” assented Kearns. “As I remarked before, a case of senile dementia, that little fellow,” said the Professor sagaciously; “a clear case of senile dementia, my good friend!” “Yes,” declared Kearns, “I noted his sickly smile.” “Well,” said Dean, “they’re gone and we are fortunately left alive to tell the story and to put the madhouse people on their trail. The next thing to be done is to find the main road and get to the nearest village. There we can hire a conveyance and get refreshments. I am both hungry and thirsty.” “The nearest village,” repeated Kearns musingly; “I take it that would be Averill, or would Patchley be nearer?” “I should say Averill, decidedly.” “Well; let’s be off, then, and find the main road,” suggested Kearns. “This must be the way, I’m pretty sure.” Picking up the blankets and rugs in which they had been wrapped, he tossed them through the entrance to the cave and started off. “Is it safe, do you think, for us to leave those things there?” asked the Professor. “What else can we do with them?” answered Kearns. “Let the Doctor attend to that. We’ll notify him, of course, as soon as we get back. He had no business to leave us in that fashion, anyway!” “I quite agree with you as to that,” assented the Professor. “Tired out with our walk, we must have fallen asleep as we smoked and he calmly left us.” “By George!” exclaimed Kearns, with a sudden start; “I wonder if the Doctor has been up to any of his pranks.” “Pranks!” repeated the Professor in astonishment. “Yes; putting people to sleep. I wonder if this sleep of ours was of his contriving.” The Professor contracted his brows thoughtfully. “Now that you mention it,” he declared, “I should not be astonished if it was.” “Did you notice that pale-colored, peculiar, but certainly very excellent tobacco?” continued Kearns eagerly. “Upon my word, I begin to suspect it was fixed--doped--drugged!” “You don’t mean to say so!” exclaimed the Professor.