Scrambling, feeling dazed and white-livered, out of bed, I opened the
door, and met one of the warders on the threshold. The man looked scared,
and his lips, I noticed, were set in a somewhat boding fashion.

"Can you come at once, sir?" he said. "There's summat wrong with the
Governor."

"Wrong? What's the matter with him?"

"Why,"--he looked down, rubbed an imaginary protuberance smooth with his
foot, and glanced up at me again with a quick, furtive expression,--"he's
got his face set in the grating of 47, and danged if a man Jack of us can
get him to move or speak."

I turned away, feeling sick. I hurriedly pulled on coat and trousers, and
hurriedly went off with my summoner. Reason was all absorbed in a wildest
phantasy of apprehension.

"Who found him?" I muttered, as we sped on.

"Vokins see him go down the corridor about half after eight, sir, and see
him give a start like when he noticed the trap open. It's never been so
before in my time. Johnson must ha' done it last night, before he were
took."

"Yes, yes."

"The man said the Governor went to shut it, it seemed, and to draw his
face to'ards the bars in so doin'. Then he see him a-lookin' through, as
he thought; but nat'rally it weren't no business of his'n, and he went
off about his work. But when he come anigh agen, fifteen minutes later,
there were the Governor in the same position; and he got scared over it,
and called out to one or two of us."

"Why didn't one of you ask the Major if anything was wrong?"

"Bless you! we did; and no answer. And we pulled him, compatible with
discipline, but--"

"But what?"

"He's stuck."

"Stuck!"

"See for yourself, sir. That's all I ask."

I did, a moment later. A little group was collected about the door of
cell 47, and the members of it spoke together in whispers, as if they
were frightened men. One young fellow, with a face white in patches, as
if it had been floured, slid from them as I approached, and accosted me
tremulously.

"Don't go anigh, sir. There's something wrong about the place."

I pulled myself together, forcibly beating down the excitement reawakened
by the associations of the spot. In the discomfiture of others' nerves I
found my own restoration.

"Don't be an ass!" I said, in a determined voice, "There's nothing here
that can't be explained. Make way for me, please!"

They parted and let me through, and I saw him. He stood, spruce,
frock-coated, dapper, as he always was, w