"It is a bit open jest in front of here; but I took note that further to
the westward was a little more of green," Sergeant Corney said, half to
himself, and I knew he was picturing in his mind the two of us making the
attempt where was not a blade of grass to give shelter, for the "green" of
which he spoke was nothing more than the fragment of a bush near the
stockade.

"How are we to attract their attention, providin' we succeed in creepin'
up under the wall?" I asked, after a long pause, and he replied, grimly:

"I'll answer that question after you've told me how we're goin' to stop
'em shootin' at us while we're tryin' to get across."

Then it was I understood that even though the enemy did not see us while
we were making our way over the plain, the sentinels in the fort were
doubtless on the alert against just such an attempt on the part of the
Indians, and there was little question but that they would fire at any
moving thing which came within their line of vision.

"It seems to me that we'll be between two fires," I said, with a feeble
attempt to speak in a jovial tone, and Sergeant Corney's reply was much
like a bucket of cold water full in my face.

"That's exactly the case, lad, an' I'm countin' that betwixt 'em we'll be
peppered in fine shape, else there are some mighty poor marksmen
hereabouts."

"Why didn't you tell the general that we couldn't carry his message?
Didn't you think of all this at the time?"