food for
discussion that the hour was getting late, and the young guest had
several times over felt an intense longing to ask permission to leave
the table, his intention being to get Captain Murray to let him join
Andrew Forbes. But he felt that as a guest he could not do this, and
must wait till the colonel rose.

He was thinking all this impatiently for the last time, feeling wearied
out after so terribly exciting a day as he had passed through, when the
colonel and all present suddenly sprang to their feet; for a shot rang
out from close at hand, followed by a loud, warning cry, as if from a
sentry; then, before any one could reach the door to run out and see
what was wrong, there was another shot, and again another, followed by a
faint and distant cry.

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE.

A WATCH NIGHT.

"What is it--an attack?"

"Quick, gentlemen!" cried the colonel; "every man to his quarters."

He had hardly spoken before a bugle rang out; and as Frank was hurried
out with the rest into the courtyard, it was to see, by the dim light of
the clouded moon and the feeble oil lamps, that the guard had turned
out, and the tramp of feet announced that the rest of the men gathered
for the defence of the Palace and its occupants were rapidly hurrying
out of their quarters, to form up in one or other of the yards.

Frank felt that he was out of place; but in his interest and excitement
he followed Captain Murray like his shadow, and in very few minutes knew
that no attack had been made upon the Palace, but that the cause of the
alarm was from within, and his heart sank like lead as the captain said
to him:

"Poor lad! He must be half crazy to do such a thing. Come with me."

Frank followed him, and the next minute they met, coming from the gate
on the Park side, a group of soldiers, marching with fixed bayonets
toward the guardroom, two of the men within bearing a stretcher, on
which lay Andrew Forbes, apparently lifeless. For the lad had been mad
enough to make a dash for his liberty, in spite of knowing what would
follow, the result being that the sentry by the guardroom had challenged
him to stop, and as he ran on fired. This spread the alarm, and the
second sentry toward the gate had followed his comrade's example as he
caught a glimpse of the flying figure, while the third sentry outside
the gate, standing in full readiness, also caught sight of the lad as he
dashed out and was running to reach the trees of th