All. three were sound asleep, by what accident or by whose
design I did not pause to inquire; it was enough to ascertain the
fact beyond all. chance of error.
I turned my attention to Raffles last of all. There was the other
side of the medal. Raffles was still sleeping as sound as the
enemy - or so I feared at first I shook him gently: he made no
sign. I introduced vigor into the process: he muttered incoherently.
I caught and twisted an unresisting wrist - and at that he yelped
profanely. But it was many and many an anxious moment before his
blinking eyes knew mine.
"Bunny!" he yawned, and nothing more until his position came back
to him. "So you came to me," he went on, in a tone that thrilled
me with its affectionate appreciation, "as I knew you would! Have
they turned up yet? They will any minute, you know; there's not
one to lose."
"No, they won't, old man!" I whispered. And he sat up and saw the
comatose trio for himself.
Raffles seemed less amazed at the result than I had been as a
puzzled witness of the process; on the other hand, I had never seen
anything quite so exultant as the smile that broke through his
blackened countenance like a light.
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