“Yes, and in a hurry, too. There’s something doing down the hill. What is it, Kelly?”
“They’re coming up, Lieutenant, on the quiet; the whole bunch, I think. Gerhardt saw them first and came over to me; then we waited a little and could hear them plain. So we sneaked in quick.”
“Then get to your places,” Herbert said. “Dead quiet, now, everybody!”
“And don’t anyone shoot too soon and spoil the scheme!” Judson demanded.
“Nobody shoot until Judson yells ‘fire’!” Herbert ordered.
There was the suggestion of a sound as of moving objects down the hillside. It seemed to grow a little plainer, be multiplied, to come nearer and was barely discernible. To every member of the squad it was not apparent that the enemy was approaching; a few of trained and keener senses knew it. Jennings and Gill detected the fact very soon after Kelly and Gerhardt came in. Said Jennings, presently, in something like a stage whisper:
“Most here, Lieutenant. Reckon this is goin’ to be a reg’lar circus fer all concerned, ez they say in court.”
“Sh!” “Hush!” and “Can the talk!” came in muffled accents from along the line.
“Sho! He knows how far away they are and that they couldn’t hear him. The nearest one ain’t closer than half way up the hill and they’re all coming together. When you lay for deer——”