speaking to some one on the inside.

Now it was that I expected the old man would return to my side and chuckle
over our good fortune; but he remained at the edge of the thicket while I
might have counted twenty, and then a second member of the garrison had
clambered up beside the first.

Another hand was waved in reply, and then, having finished his task in
good shape, Sergeant Corney crept back to me as he whispered, gleefully:

"I reckon we needn't fear that any of the garrison will shoot at us this
night, an', what's more to our advantage, we won't be called on to lay
behind the walls very long tryin' to attract attention."

"It was a great plan!" I replied, as if all our troubles were at an end,
and then again came the thought that it would be necessary for us to creep
out from the thicket under the very noses of those who were on guard, and
straightway all my fears returned.

It no longer seemed to me as if we had gained any great advantage from the
old man's efforts.




Chapter VI.

Between the Lines