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Page 45
A loud snoring in the room on his right attracted his
attention. He knew that it was Von Vottenberg's, and he
entered to see what had kept him in bed until that late
hour. The surgeon, only half-undressed, was fast asleep,
not within, but on the outside of the bed-clothes. Somewhat
disgusted at the sight, for Elmsley was comparatively
abstemious, he shook him not very gently, when the doctor,
opening his eyes with a start, half-rose upon his elbow.
"Ha!" he exclaimed, "I know you mean to say that breakfast
is waiting; I had forgotten all about it, old fellow."
"I mean nothing of the kind," was the reply, "but I
recommend you to lose no time in dressing and turning
out. The men are already on parade, and if Captain Headley,
finding that you are absent, tends over here to inquire
the cause, I would not give much for your future chances
of swallowing whisky-punch within the walls of Chicago."
"Eh? what! what!" spluttered the surgeon, as he jumped
up, drew on his boots, dipped his face in a basin of
water, and hastily completed his toilet. In less than
five minutes he was on parade.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Elmsley, after giving this warning,
had passed again through the mess-room, and knocked at
Ronayne's door. But there was no answer.
"Hilloa, Ronayne," he called loudly, as he turned the
handle of the latch, "are YOU in bed too?"
But no Ronayne was there. He looked at the bed--like the
doctor's, it had been laid upon, but no one had been
within the clothes.
What was the meaning of this? After a few moments of
delay, he flew back to Von Vottenberg's room, but the
latter was already gone. Retracing his steps, he met
Ronayne's servant entering at the mess-room door.
"Where is your master?" he inquired. "How is it that he
is not in his room--has not been in bed?"
"Not been in bed?" repeated the lad, with surprise. "Why,
sir, he told me last night that he was very drowsy and
should lie late; and, that he mightn't be disturbed, he
desired me to sleep in one of the block-houses. I was
only to wake him in time for guard-mounting, and as it
wants but ten minutes to that, I am just come to call him."
"Clean out the mess-room directly--open the windows, and
pat every thing in order," said the lieutenant, fearing
that Captain Headley might, on hearing of the absence of
the young officer, pay his quarters a visit in search of
some clue to the cause. "I see it all," he mused, as he
moved across the parade-ground. "He would not, generous
fellow, get me into a scrape, by making me privy to his
design, and to avoid the difficulty of the gate, has got
over the pickets somewhere--yet, if so, he must have had
a rope, and assistance of some kind, for he never could
have crossed them without. Yet, where can he be gone,
and what could he have expected to result from his mad
scheme? Had he waited until now, he would have known by
the arrival of the fishing-party with their sad charge,
how utterly useless was all this risk."
"Well, Mr. Elmsley," said the captain, who now appeared
at the front of his own door, fully dressed for parade,
and preparing to issue forth in all the stateliness of
command.
"The parade is formed, sir," remarked the lieutenant,
confusedly, "but I cannot find the officer of the guard."
"Sir!" exclaimed Captain Headley.
"I cannot find Mr. Ronayne, sir--I have myself been over
to his quarters, and looked into his bed-room, but it is
clear that he has not been in bed all night."
"What is the meaning of all this? Send Doctor Von Vottenberg
here immediately."
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