The whistling had ceased, but she still hesitated.
After an interval, very short, the whistle came again, slightly louder.
There was only one last plea I could think of. "It may cost me my life if you don't go, Nessa."
I felt her shudder convulsively as she yielded, and clung to me for an instant. "I'll go. Oh, God!" she moaned piteously under her breath.
I hurried her across the intervening field, and as we reached the other side of it, the man at the gate called to us impatiently to hurry.
But Nessa stopped. "I've forgotten, Jack," she whispered. "I must have that money after all."
I had it ready, thrust it into her hand, and helped her over the field gate. In her agitation she fell and dropped the notes. It was as dark as pitch on the ground at that spot and I had to grope with my hands to find them.
The man called to me urgently to come at once, and I had just found them when we heard the sound of a horse galloping in our direction.
"Back to the wood," growled the man almost fiercely. "If the captain noses you, you'll be shot."
I lifted Nessa over the gate and we darted back to cover, as the officer rode up. We waited for some breathless anxious minutes for him to go, hoping that the signal could be repeated.