“Quick! round to the bridge!”
“No, sir; there’s a whole lot of ’em come close in. They nearly had us an hour ago, and we’ve had a fine job to creep through all in a line one arter t’other.”
“Hist! cease talking,” whispered Roy, “or you’ll be heard.”
The warning came too late, for an order delivered in a low tone a short distance away was followed by a tramping as if a line of horses was approaching cautiously.
“How many of you can swim? Now, as many as can, come across.”
But no one stirred, and the trampling came on.
“Do you hear?” said Roy, in an angry whisper; “are you afraid?”
“Fear’d to leave our comrades as can’t swim, sir,” said the man who had first spoken.
“What’s to be done,” exclaimed Roy, excitedly.
But there was no response, for he was standing there upon the rampart alone.