When Colonel Morgan left the messroom, he visited the haunted post before retiring to his quarters, which were close at hand. After replying to the sentry’s challenge, he asked Sykes: ‘Have you seen anything as yet?’
‘Not yet, sir,’ replied the man.
‘I don’t think that it is likely you will either,’ remarked the colonel with a laugh as he retired to his room.
Shortly afterwards, when the clock struck two, the young officers left the messroom and cautiously stole over the barrack square to the place where ‘the spirit held his wont to walk.’ Poor Sykes was very glad of their company; for, though he was a man of undoubted pluck, and greatly respected in the regiment for his pugilistic prowess, he was not at all bright at the prospect of tackling the ghost all by himself. He paced about on his post, keeping a sharp lookout, and the officers crouched under the shadow of the wall; while the dog took up its quarters in the sentry-box. A little before three, they were startled by the abrupt appearance of the apparition, which carried as before a drawn sword.
‘Who comes there?’ shouted Sykes, bringing his rifle to the ‘charge.’
The spectre made no answer, but slowly raised its left hand to its forehead.
The dog, with a loud growl, sprang out of the box and rushed open-mouthed at the figure; but when he approached it, he began to wag his tail, and evinced symptoms of great satisfaction. The officers and the sentry at once surrounded the ghost, and found, to their most intense astonishment, that it was no other than Colonel Morgan himself, attired in his night-dress, in a state of somnambulism!
Aware of the danger of waking him while in that condition, they followed him to his room, whither he almost immediately returned, and there they saw him sheathe his sword and return to bed seemingly oblivious of their presence.
Next morning, he was apprised of the circumstances of the case; and the poor colonel was naturally very much concerned on learning the nature of the malady of which he had been an unconscious victim. Of course his first action was to write an explanation to the general, with a request for my release; and his next, to publish in regimental orders his regret for the trouble he had unwittingly occasioned.
Several red-tape formalities had to be gone through; and it was some days before I was astonished and delighted by an intimation from the prison governor that I was free; and was handed over to the charge of a corporal, who had been sent to bring me to my regiment. Whenever I entered the barracks, I was ordered to proceed at once to the commanding officer’s quarters. Colonel Morgan shook hands with me, and expressed his extreme concern that he had been the innocent cause of my having been subjected to such ignominy.