He advanced to the rail and peered over it in order to catch another glimpse of the queer little figures now in full retreat. But being very near-sighted and having, in his haste, forgotten his spectacles, he miscalculated the distance, and in another moment was turning somersaults down the stairs in the wake of the Teddy bears, until he finally landed at the bottom with a lugubrious thump which for the moment deprived him of consciousness, while Rough House, roused by the commotion, added his shrill barking to the general confusion.
Now from the lower hall rose voices of Papa Doctor and mamma in terrified inquiry, demanding to know what upon earth was the matter.
They were dreadfully astonished to find the house brilliantly lighted from top to bottom and ringing with all sorts of unaccountable noises.
As they received no reply they both rushed upstairs as fast as their feet could carry them only to find poor old John extended in an apparently lifeless condition on the landing, while in the nursery Sally, her head under the counterpane, was sobbing wildly, too much terrified to do anything but clutch Peter Pan, which smooth rascal reposed beside her, the tip of his black nose sticking out perkily from beneath the coverlet.
The whistle of the night watchman was now heard advancing along the street and Papa Doctor made a dash downstairs to secure the man’s services. In a few moments he came hurrying along and between them all they got John back into bed and applied some restoratives that speedily brought him to his senses. But he at once began to talk so wildly of Teddy bears and organ grinders’ monkeys that Papa Doctor shook his head and gravely declared it his belief that some sudden shock must have turned the old man’s brain.
To be sure it might have been the fall, but as he could give no explanation of how he came to fall beyond his oft-repeated declaration that he had been chasing some queer animals that resembled Sally’s Teddy bears, the family gave up in despair and Papa Doctor concluded to remain for the rest of the night with his flighty patient.
John having been comfortably disposed of, the watchman proceeded to patrol the whole house, but discovered nothing, not even an unhooked window by means of which any marauder might have gained entrance.