"None at all. I must first look over the ground carefully, see how the men are posted, talk with them, and then I may be able to form an idea."
Fred's first business was to ride out to where the post had been captured during the night. This he did, noting the lay of the ground, carefully looking for footprints not only in front, but in the rear of where the men had been stationed. He then visited all the picket posts, talked with the men, learned their habits on picket, whether they were as watchful as they should be—in fact, not the slightest thing of importance escaped his notice.
On his return from his tour of inspection, Fred said to General Schoepf, "Well, General, I have my idea."
"What is it?" asked the general, greatly interested.
"Your pickets have been captured from the rear, not the front."
"What do you mean?" excitedly asked the general.
"I mean that some of the pickets are so placed that a wary foe could creep in between the posts and come up in the rear, completely surprising the men. I think I found evidence that the men captured last night were taken in that way. I found, at least, six posts of which I believe an enemy could get in the rear without detection, especially if the land had been spied out."
"You astonish me," said the general. "But even if this is so, why does not the sentinel give the alarm?"
"He may be in such a position that he dare not," answered Fred.
"What do you propose?"