“Perhaps he wouldn’t do it.”
“He wouldn’t, eh? Wait until he sees his revolver looking him squarely in the face. I bet you he would go. Now, we want to be still, for we don’t know how close those sentries are to us. We must keep mum and make as little noise as possible in going through the woods until we find out where they are.”
Cale was now perfectly willing that Dan should take the lead, for as they were getting pretty close to armed men he did not want to be the first to draw their fire; so he gradually fell behind, while Dan made his way through the bushes with an ease and celerity that was astonishing. He scarcely caused a twig to rustle. The experience which the boys had in hunting wild hogs stood them well in stead. Finally Dan pushed aside the bushes and saw the road fairly before him. There was nothing on it as far as he could see, and the bridge seemed to be empty.
“Somebody has been fooled in regard to those sentinels,” said Dan.
“Go out in the road,” said Cale. “You can’t see anything from here.”
Dan went, but had scarcely got clear of the bushes when a voice called out, in a surprised tone:
“Halt!”
“By gum, I guess you found something,” whispered Cale. “You had better be getting[getting] out of there.”
Dan waited to hear no more. He drew a bee-line for the bushes, and in a moment more was threading his way noisely through them. When he had gone a little ways he stopped and said to his brother:
“I didn’t see anybody there.”