"What did he want?" asked Davies.
"He—wanted something of the captain, sir, but I told him the captain was asleep."
Davies hastened through the passage and across the jolting platform to the next car ahead.
"Sergeant," said he, "what man went through here into the sleeper when we stopped last station?"
"No man, sir," said the non-commissioned officer, stoutly.
"But there must have been—or no, perhaps he could have run along the left side of the train from a forward car and jumped on the platform. I didn't think of that. Did you see or hear no one?"
"I heard some one on the platform of the sleeper, sir, but I thought it was the lieutenant."
Going forward Davies met with no better success. The guard at each door was positive no man had gone out. Then, unless there were collusion on the part of the sentries, he must have slipped through some window, said Davies to himself. Miss Loomis was still up and rearranging Mrs. Cranston's pillows when he returned.
"Did you ascertain anything?" she asked.
"Nothing. They all deny any knowledge of such a thing."