“We must bear off to the right,” he whispered. “The people deserted the place when the rebels came, and they are quartered on the other side. Come along.”
The words were at my lips to implore him to be careful, but I thought he would think me cowardly, so I followed him as we crept slowly on, passing house after house—mere hovels, most of them, but all open and empty. As we paused before one of these, I whispered—
“Suppose we come upon them suddenly?”
“Keep fast hold of my hand and retreat; the darkness is on our side.”
I said no more, and we kept slowly on past dozens of houses all in the same condition, and either deserted, or with their occupants asleep. Then the buildings ceased as far as we could make out in the darkness, for we came upon trees.
“We must have come right through the village,” whispered Brace. “It is very strange. They would have been sure to set sentries, and we ought to hear the horses stamping or whinnying.”
“Brace!”
“Well?”
“We’ve come to the wrong village.”
“Impossible. There was no other village for many miles,” he whispered angrily. “This is the place, and I saw them here. We’ll follow the houses round from the outside. Forward.”