'My idea is,' Hamilton said, 'a very simple old chestnut sort of idea, but it may serve a good turn yet—get his Excellency out of his room, and one of us get into it. Nothing will be done, of course, until all the lights are out, and then we shall soon find out whether all this is a false alarm or not.'
'A capital idea! I'll take his Excellency's place,' Sarrasin said eagerly.
Hamilton shook his head. 'I have the better claim,' he said.
'Tisn't a question of claim, my dear Hamilton. Of course, if it were, I should have no claim at all. It is a question of effect—of result—of a thing to be done, don't you see?'
'Well, what has that to do with the question? I fancy I could see it through as well as most people,' Hamilton said, flushing a little and beginning to feel angry. The idea of thinking that there was anybody alive who could watch over the safety of the Dictator better than he could! Sarrasin was really carrying things rather too far.
'My dear boy,' the kind old warrior said soothingly, 'I never meant that. But you know I am an old and trained adventurer, and I have been in all sorts of dangers and tight places, and I have a notion, my dear chap, that I am physically a good deal stronger than you, or than most men, for that matter, and this may come to be a question of strength, and of disarming and holding on to a fellow when once you have caught him.'
'You are right,' Hamilton said submissively but disappointed. 'Of course, I ought to have thought of that. I have plenty of nerve, but I know I am not half as strong as you. All right, Sarrasin, you shall do the trick this time.'
'It will very likely turn out to be nothing at all,' Sarrasin said, by way of soothing the young man's sensibilities; 'but even if we have to look a little foolish in Ericson's eyes to-morrow we shan't much mind.'
'I'll go and rouse him up. I'll bring him along here. He won't enjoy being disturbed, but we can't help that.'
'Better be disturbed by you than by—some other,' Sarrasin said grimly.