The laughter above ceased at the angry command of the officer, but long ere it died away, and under cover of the friendly noise, the two boys, wriggling on their stomachs like a couple of great snakes, had put a good fifty yards between themselves and the men on the bank.
‘By time!’ muttered Ephraim. ‘Thet’s mighty good fun fer them; but it’s jest ez well you and me war out er thar, Luce.’
They rose to their feet, and moving warily, soon passed out of the fringing belt into the open. Then, at Ephraim’s direction, they ran as fast as they could, till a multitude of twinkling fires told them that the Federal troops lay close upon their left hand.
‘Five minnits fer refreshments,’ whispered Ephraim, ‘and then the next act’ll begin. See hyar, Luce, it’s all Virginny ter a sour apple thet they’ve got a chain er sentries right across from the camp to the river-side. We must dodge ’em. Ef wanst we kin git ter the ditch, we’ll be safe—so fur.’
They stole back just inside the belt of trees, and moved on, a step or two at a time. Sure enough, presently they could hear the measured tread of a sentry as he paced backwards and forwards upon his short beat.
‘It won’t do to try the countersign just here,’ whispered Lucius. ‘It’s too close to the camp.’
‘No,’ answered Ephraim. ‘We must crawl past him, one at a time. You go first. Ef he sees ye, thar’s this.’ He touched Lucius with the rifle.
Once again Lucius cast himself down flat upon the ground, and progressing by fractions of an inch, approached to within a few feet of the sentry. So close was he as the man passed him, that by stretching out his hand he could have caught him by the leg. But the darkness favoured him, though it was light enough to see ten paces away, and the man walked past unsuspiciously. Before he could turn again, Lucius had writhed beyond his beat and ensconced himself among the trees, where he waited for Ephraim.
The Grizzly had stood with his finger on the trigger, ready to fire if occasion arose; but now judging that Lucius must be past the human obstruction, he noiselessly lowered the hammer of his gun and prepared to make the effort on his own account.
It was more difficult for him than for Lucius, encumbered as he was with his rifle; but Fortune favours the bold, and in ten minutes’ time he found himself once more beside his comrade. They waited till the sound of footsteps told them that the sentry’s back was once more turned to them, and then crawled farther away. In this way they passed a second and a third sentinel, and at length the end of their labours presented itself in the shape of the field which they had crossed in the afternoon. They dared not rise, however, for fear of being seen, and a final crawl of nearly a hundred yards had to be accomplished before they found the safe retreat of the ditch.