“What is very curious?” questioned Mortimer.
“The reply to our message.”
“What was it?”
“First let me give you what I sent,” said Dean. “It was this: ‘We have been prisoners, but have escaped. We are returning with big news and fullest information.’”
“Yes, yes,” replied Mortimer; “that would seem to cover the ground very nicely. And the answer?”
“This,” replied the Professor, “is the somewhat curious answer I’ve received: ‘Strange happenings since you left. Do not return direct to palace, but time arrival until after dark and manage unseen descent at some quiet spot. Will meet you in park at northern end Queen’s Walk at midnight.’”
“That’s certainly a rather strange message,” said Mortimer.
“I should call it very strange!” replied Dean thoughtfully. And, with his hand upon the lever, he again started on through space.
CHAPTER VI
THE NEW CHANCELLOR
These were days of great news happenings at the palace. An officer of the Guard, Captain Stanley Mortimer, had strangely disappeared and another officer of the Guard, Captain Ralph Swords, had been discovered, in the anteroom of the King’s chamber, senseless and bleeding from a mysterious bullet wound in the head, inflicted upon him while on guard duty. Fortunately the bullet had struck at a sharp angle and had glanced from the parietal bone, inflicting a severe but not necessarily fatal wound. It had been a narrow escape for Captain Swords, who would be laid up for some time under the palace physician’s care.