Page:How I Helped to Lay a Ghost.pdf/3

Rh up there—at any rate, until he is fit to send to his own place."

I was myself occupying the spare room, but I arranged with the housekeeper to give it up to Meadowcroft while I turned into Sayfield's room. As the rooms adjoined, the arrangement was a convenient one, enabling me to keep a constant eye on the patient. As it happened, we had scarcely got him undressed and put to bed before consciousness returned, and I was able to overhaul him thoroughly. I had already pretty well decided in my own mind that whatever else the revolver bullet might have done, it had certainly inflicted no damage on Meadowcroft; and after a further examination of him, I was not surprised that he complained of little beyond a severe headache and tenderness all along his left side. The bruise on his forehead was now quite apparent, and I suspected him to have been stunned by some blunt instrument. Anyhow, his memory was quite a blank at present, and as he seemed drowsy and inclined to sleep, I prescribed perfect rest and quietude, and reassuring him as to his position, left Nature to do her own work; and when I took an occasional peep at him during the evening he was sleeping soundly.

I was having a quiet smoke in the garden after dinner, when Major was announced. He had not come, it appeared, in quest of information so much as to impart it, for when I told him how well Meadowcroft was doing, he shook his head.

"Ah! a bad business, I'm afraid, sir."

"Not anyone shot, I hope?"

"No, but I've had a wire from the manager of the Reading bank to ask what's become of Mr. Meadowcroft; I was just going to wire to him myself when the message came. He says the horse was found wandering with the empty trap close home, so I've only come to ask if I shall say that Mr. Meadowcroft is doing well, and he can see him to-morrow."

"Yes, I think you may safely say he is getting on all right, but I don't think he will be fit to see anybody to-morrow."

As I expected, so it turned out. The