soul--of Trooper Matthewson. It would
certainly send him to Jail or Lunatic Asylum--probably to both in due
succession, for he was daily getting worse in the matter of the Snake.

No--it was part of his orders, on this sentry-post, to knock at the
door, and he would do his duty, Snake or not. He had always tried to
do his duty faithfully and he would continue....

Once more to knock at a dead man's door....

_Bump, Bump: Bump, Bump: Bump, Bump_.

"You'll soon be at rest, Priddell, old chap--and I wish I could join
you," called Dam, and it seemed to his excited brain that _a deep
hollow groan replied_.

"By Jove! He's not dead," coolly remarked the man who would have fled
shrieking from a harmless blind-worm, and, going round to the back of
the building, he placed his carbine against the wall and sprang up at
a kind of window-ledge that formed the base of a grated aperture made
for purposes of ventilation. Slowly raising his body till his face
was above the ledge, he peered into the dimly moonlit cell and then
dropped to the ground and, catching up his carbine, sprinted in the
direction of the Hospital Guard-room.

There arrived, he shouted for the Corporal of the Guard and was
quickly confronted by Corporal Prag.

"Wot the devil you deserted yore".... he began.

"Get the key of the mortuary, send for the Surgeon, and come at once,"
gasped Dam as soon as he could speak. "_Priddell's not dead_. Must be
some kind of catalepsy. Quick, man"....

"Catter wot? You drunken 'og," drawled the Corporal. "Catter_waulin'_
more like it. Under arrest you goes, my lad. Now you _'ave_ done it.
'Ere, 'Awker, run down an' call up the Sergeant o' the Guard an' tell
'im Maffewson's left 'is post. 'E'll 'ave to plant annuvver sentry.
Maffewson goes ter clink."

"Yes--but send for the Surgeon and the key of the mortuary too,"
begged Dam. "I give you fair warning that Priddell is alive and
groaning and off the bier--"

"Pity _you_ ain't 'off the beer' too," said the Corporal with a yawn.

"Well--there are witnesses that I brought the report to you. If
Priddell is found dead on the ground to-morrow you'll have to answer
for manslaughter."

"'Ere, _chuck_ it you snaike-seeing delirying trimmer, _will_ yer!
Give anyone the 'orrers to listen to yer! When Priddell is wrote off
as 'Dead' 'e _is_ dead, whether 'e likes it or no," and he turned to
give orders to the listening guard to arrest Trooper Matthewson.

The Sergeant of the G