The gipsy was stretched now at full length on the wall, peering, with his hands arching his eyes, into the darkness.
Jack and Don Casimir followed the boy's example, and, keeping the moonlight from their eyes, at length discerned a dark figure crawling slowly down the steep. A moment later, all three caught sight of a second figure following at a short interval the first.
"They are coming within range," whispered Don Casimir. "I will order my men to shoot."
"Stay!" said Jack quickly. "Let us wait. Pass the word along the sentries not to shoot if they see two men approaching. Two men will not overpower us and capture the city, Señor; there is something puzzling, as you say, in all this. We must find out what it means."
The men had now reached the foot of the opposite slope. On the ramparts several pairs of eyes were watching them eagerly. At the brink of the river they halted for a moment, then stepped into the water. Jack looked questioningly at Don Casimir.
"Yes," said the latter, "the Huerba is fordable here."
Two figures were wading through the water. They gained the nearer bank; they climbed up. When on dry land again they no longer crawled, but clambered as rapidly as might be up the steep ascent to the wall. Jack felt growing interest and excitement as they came up foot by foot, with no attempt at concealment. They were within four yards of the wall.
"Quien vive?" asked Don Casimir in clear low tones.
"Silencio!" said the first of the two figures, holding up a warning hand. "I am a friend; help me up."
The wall was some fourteen feet in height, and there was no apparent means of assisting the man below.
"If two of your men let down their muskets, I can catch hold of them," said the man in a whisper.
The hint was acted on. Don Casimir beckoned up two of his men, who laid themselves flat on the wall, lowering their muskets until the man below was able to grasp a barrel in each hand. Then they gradually drew up the weapons hand over hand, and the man with them. Don Casimir, with drawn sword, kept a sharp look-out to assure himself that the new-comers were alone, and that this strange incident was not part of a French plot to rush the wall.
In half a minute the spokesman was standing beside the little group.