“Not at all, sir.”
“And quite right,” said the doctor, taking out his box, and helping himself to a liberal pinch of snuff. “Nice job for a man like me to have to do all I can to save the life of a savage who did all he could to murder one of my greatest friends. There, run back and tell him to make his mind easy about my lord here. I won’t let him die, and as soon as I can I’ll come and see to his arm.”
The boys ran off again, passing the litter directly; but when they reached the guard-house, the sentry refused to let them pass, and summoned another of the Guards, who took in a message to the captain who made the arrest.
He came to the door directly, and learned what they wanted.
“I can’t admit you,” he said. “The colonel’s orders have been very strict. I’ll go and set your father’s mind at rest, for of course he’ll be glad that he did not kill his adversary.”
The captain nodded in a friendly way, and went back.
“He can’t help himself, Frank,” said Andrew. “Don’t mind about it. And there won’t be any punishment. The King and the Prince will storm and shout a bit in Dutch, and then it will all blow over. Your father’s too great a favourite with the troops for there to be any bother, and the bigwigs know how pleased every one will be that the Dutchman got the worst of it. I say, look; it’s only half-past five now!”
“What: not later than that!” cried Frank in astonishment, for he would have been less surprised if he had heard that it was midday.
“Here they come,” whispered Andrew; and, turning quickly, Frank saw the soldiers bearing in the wounded baron, with the doctor by his side, and they waited till they saw the litter borne in to the guardroom, and the door was shut.
“I say, who would have thought of this when we were going over to the messroom yesterday evening? What shall we do now—go back to bed?”