“Yes. On the other cheek, but not so bad there,” gasped Emma. “That’s why I thought the bullet had gone through.”
“This is one instance in your life when you should have demonstrated,” declared Miss Briggs. “You see how easy it is to imagine things, and suffer because you imagine.”
Emma sat up and smiled.
The shooting was still going on from the borders of the meadow, though the firing was not so rapid as before, both sides apparently sparing their ammunition, but enough shots were being fired to make it most uncomfortable for the Overlanders who were directly in line of the firing between the two opposing forces.
Tom joined the girls and led them to a safer place behind some huge boulders, where he sternly ordered them to remain until he gave them permission to change positions. Tom, rifle in hand, then crept out to a place where he could get a better view of what was going on. As he reached a point of vantage a double blast of fire overhead greeted him; then the firing ceased altogether.
It was then that the Overlander discovered a man creeping around the far end of the meadow. Then he saw another man creeping out from the opposite side of the field, and realized that the two men were stalking each other.
“Keep low, girls!” he called softly. “Something is coming off here if I’m not mistaken.”
Instead of keeping low four heads quickly bobbed up from behind the boulders. At first the girls saw nothing unusual; then they discovered what Tom had just seen. They could see both men at intervals as the men’s heads came up.
“Girls!” Grace snatched her field glasses and directed them at the creeping man on their side of the meadow.
“Wha—what is it?” cried Nora.