“You are right about the tobacco,” he said. “I thank you.”
He sat down again before the fire, while Stewart hastened to his companion and dropped to his knees beside her.
“See what I’ve got!” he cried. “Food!”
She opened her eyes, struggled to a sitting posture, and held out an eager hand. A moment later, they were both munching the sausage and biscuits as though they had never tasted anything so delicious—as, indeed, they never had!
“Oh, how good that was!” she said, when the last crumb was swallowed, and she waved her thanks to the watching group about the fire. “Remember,” she added, in a lower tone, as she sank back upon her elbow, “the instant——”
She stopped, staring toward the tunnel, one hand grasping the blanket.
Stewart, following her look, saw the sentry stiffen, turn on his heel, and hold his rifle rigidly in front of him, as a tall figure, clad in a long gray coat and carrying an electric torch, stepped out of the darkness of the tunnel. At the same instant, the men about the fire sprang to their feet.
“Now!” cried the girl, and threw back the blanket.
In an instant, hand in hand, they had glided into the darkness.