"
"May it not have been a large monkey," suggested Jack, "who has
resolved to play us a trick for having massacred its companions at
Waldeck?"
"Monkeys," replied Ernest, "do not generally open doors, and, seeing
no bed prepared for them, go down stairs and collect material for a
mattress. You may just as well fancy that the monkey, in this case,
came to pass the night at Falcon's Nest with a cigar in its mouth."
"Then he must have been dreadfully annoyed to find neither slippers
nor a night-cap."
"There is, unquestionably, a wide field of supposition open for us,"
said Becker; "but that need not prevent us taking active measures to
arrive at the truth. Our first duty is to care for the safety of the
ladies; Mr. Wolston is still ailing and feeble, so that, if a stranger
were suddenly to appear amongst them, they might be terribly
alarmed."
"There are six of us here," remarked Willis, "the cream of our sea and
land forces; we could divide ourselves into three squadrons, one of
which might sail for Rockhouse."
"Just so; let Fritz and Frank start for Rockhouse."
"And what shall we say to the ladies, father?" inquired the latter;
"it does not seem to me necessary to alarm our mother, Mrs. Wolston,
and the young ladies, until something more certain is ascertained."
"Your idea is good, my son, and I thank you for bringing it forward;
it is one of those that arise from the heart rather than the head.
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