“Well, we’ll consider it when we’ve seen him,” said the colonel, rising and lighting a cigarette.  “By Jove! we’ve wasted an hour breakfasting—­it’s seven o’clock.”

I followed him along the passage, and we entered the little room where we had left the President.  The sentries were still there, each seated in an armchair.  They were not asleep, but looked a little drowsy.

“All right?” said the colonel.

“Yes, Excellency,” said one of them.  “He is in there in bed.”

He went into the inner room and began to undo the shutters, letting in the early sun.

We passed through the half-opened door and saw a peaceful figure lying in the bed, whence proceeded a gentle snore.

“Good nerve, hasn’t he?” said the colonel.

“Yes; but what a queer night-cap!” I said, for the President’s head was swathed in white linen.

The colonel strode quickly up to the bed.

“Done, by hell!” he cried.  “It’s Johnny Carr!”

It was true; there lay Johnny.  His Excellency was nowhere to be seen.

The colonel shook Johnny roughly by the arm.  The latter opened his eyes and said sleepily: 

“Steady there.  Kindly remember I’m a trifle fragile.”

“What’s this infernal plot?  Where’s Whittingham?”

“Ah, it’s McGregor,” said Johnny, with a bland smile, “and Martin.  How are you, old fellow?  Some beast’s hit me on the head.”

“Where’s Whittingham?” reiterated the colonel, savagely shaking Johnny’s arm.

“Gently!” said I; “after all, he’s a sick man.”

The colonel dropped the arm with a muttered oath, and Johnny said, sweetly: 

“Quits, isn’t it, colonel?”

The colonel turned from him, and said to his men sternly: 

“Have you had any hand in this?”

They protested vehemently that they were as astonished as we were; and so they were, unless they acted consummately.  They denied that anyone had entered the outer room or that any sound had proceeded from the inner.  They swore they had kept vigilant watch, and must have seen an intruder.  Both the men inside were the colonel’s personal servants, and he believed their honesty; but what of their vigilance?

Carr heard him sternly questioning them, on which he said: 

“Those chaps aren’t to blame, colonel.  I didn’t come in that way.  If you’ll take a look behind the bed, you’ll see another door.  They brought me in there.  I was rather queer and only half knew what was up.”

We looked and saw a door where he said.  Pushing the bed aside, we opened it, and found ourselves on the back staircase of the premises.  Clearly the President had noiselessly opened this door and got out.  But how had Carr got in without noise?

The sentry came up, and said: 

“Every five minutes, sir, I looked and saw him on the bed.  He lay for the first hour in his clothes.  The next look, he was undressed.  It struck me he’d been pretty quick and quiet about it, but I thought no more.”