“Rum thing, sir,” he whispered. “He must have stopped here and found that his basket was leaking, and patched it up, for I can’t see another grain anywhere.”
“Neither can I, sergeant; but try again. Take a longer circle.”
“Right, sir; but it does seem queer that he should have stopped to make all fast just behind the colonel’s quarters.”
“It seems to indicate that it was the work of some stranger; otherwise he would not have halted here.”
“P’r’aps so, sir; but if he was a stranger how did he know where the corn store was?”
“Can’t say, sergeant. Try away.”
“Right, sir,” said the man, proceeding slowly step by step, with the open lantern very close to the ground, and making a regular circle, in the hope of cutting the way at last by which the supposed thief had gone off after his last rest.
But minute succeeded minute without success, and Lennox was about to urge his companion onward in another direction, when the sergeant uttered a sharp ejaculation as if of alarm, jerking up the lantern as he started back, and in the same movement blew out the light and shut the lantern door with a loud snap.
Lennox, who was a couple of yards behind, sprang forward, unfastening the cover of his pistol-holster and catching his companion by the arm, while all around now was intensely dark.
“Enemy coming?” he whispered.