“At the palace! What do you mean?”
“According to the report made me,” continued the High President, “it came about in this way. Our men in the air-ship were preparing to approach the window of the King’s chamber, but prior to doing so were scouting around the immediate neighborhood to ascertain if the coast was clear.”
“Yes, yes,” exclaimed Dean, “we noticed that!”
“Next to the King’s chamber was a room with open windows,” went on the High President, “occupied, as they knew, by an officer on guard. Either an air current must have affected the air-ship which was at the moment almost motionless, or the steersman made some slight miscalculation, for they suddenly drifted in too close to the room. Our men suddenly saw an officer in full uniform spring forward and peer out. It looked as if he had caught sight of them and was about to give an alarm. Instantly, one of our men fired. The officer was seen to stagger back and, without groan or cry, he fell!”
With a cry of rage and pain, as of some wounded animal, Mortimer clenched his hands and began pacing the floor, in deep agitation.
“But how can this be!” exclaimed Dean. “We were close at hand and we heard no sound—no shot!”
“You forget,” replied the High President indulgently, “that most of our firearms to-day are noiseless as well as smokeless.”
“My God—my God!” exclaimed Mortimer, still pacing the floor, “that officer was Ralph—my comrade and friend, Captain Swords. Tell me, did that shot kill?”
“That is not known,” replied the High President. “After the shot, our men hovered around, peering into the lighted room and prepared to flee at the slightest sign of an alarm. But no sign of such alarm appeared. The officer’s fall upon the heavy carpet appeared to have been unheard, for no one came to the room and he lay there motionless. Our men then passed on to their work at the King’s window, when you appeared a moment later upon the scene. You know the rest.”
“To think that he is lying wounded, perhaps dead, and I here—a prisoner!” muttered Mortimer fiercely.