But we couldn't think of anything to say. Directly, however, I thought I must do something, so I whispered to the Indian:
"Does the sentry ever come up here?"
He seemed to catch my meaning.
"I go watch," he said. "Come back. Tell you." And off he stole, making no more noise than a cat.
"Bother on him!" said Rectus. "If I'd known he was up here, I would never have come."
"I reckon not," said I. "But now that we have come, what are we going to do or say? That fellow evidently thinks we have some big project on hand, and he's ready to help us; we must be careful, or he'll rush down and murder the sentinel."
"I'm sure I don't know what to say to him," said Rectus. "We ought to have thought of this before. I suppose it would be of no use to mention my poster to him."
"No, indeed," said I; "he'd never understand that. And, besides, there's a man down there. Let's peep out and see what he's doing."
So we crept to the entrance of the passage, and saw Maiden's Heart, crouched near the top of the inclined plane which serves as a stairway from the square to the ramparts, and looking over the low wall, evidently watching the sentry.
"I'll tell you what let's do," said Rectus. "Let's make a rush for our rope, and get out of this."