"Let's tell Captain Putnam," said another.

"Whoa! whoa!" yelled Andy, frantically, when he realized that the horse
was not going to pass into the grounds. "Whoa, I say! You've gone far
enough!"

The only effect his words had was to make Jim travel a little faster.
Away they went, past the gymnasium and the stables and then along the
country road leading to the farms back of the lake.

"Well, if you won't stop, go on," said Andy, presently. "You'll get
tired sooner or later, old man. But, remember, you've got to bring me
back, no matter how tired you are."

A good half-mile was covered, and then horse and rider reached a sharp
turn in the highway. Here the trees were thick and some of the branches
hung low.

[Illustration: THE YOUNG MAJOR STILL LAY WITH HIS EYES CLOSED

_The Mystery of Putnam Hall._ (Page 19)]

Andy bent down that he might avoid the branches. But he did not get
quite low enough. He looked ahead, saw a man standing on one side of the
roadway staring in astonishment at him, and the next instant he found
himself caught by the throat in a tree-limb and carried off the horse.
Then Jim bounded on riderless, and poor Andy, kicking and thrashing
wildly, sprang free of the tree-limb and landed on his shoulder in
the roadway.