The captain arose with just as much enthusiasm in his action. "I believe you have struck it, we must consult the commandant; come on," and he led the way with quickened steps.
"Reading the chart?" said the commandant, with a twinkle in his eye, as the company entered, and the captain pointed to the chart, while the amused smile on the faces of the others plainly indicated that something unusual had taken place.
"It seems to me Ralph has struck it," said the captain.
The commandant reached for the chart. "Do you mean the strange figures in the circle?" he asked.
"Yes; I felt sure those figures were the keys; Ralph seems to have given a turn to a key that has possibilities in it; we all know the battery is not in that depression. Might it not be 300 meters to the right of the direction which the arrow indicates?" asked the captain.
The commandant gazed at the chart, and with it in his hand paced the floor, stopping occasionally to fix some feature in his mind.
"If you will pardon me," said Ralph, "it does not seem to me that the 300 has anything to do with the circle, but that its position on the right of the east and west line means something."
"That is the very thing I had in my mind this moment," responded the commandant. "It is most probable that such is the case. But stop; might that not be feet, eh, Captain?"
"Not at all likely, for that would land us somewhere near the top of the hill, and I think you have plowed up that region pretty thoroughly," answered the captain.
"Enough; if that battery isn't 300 meters to the right then we must make another guess. Get your ranges for 300 meters, and we'll pepper them tomorrow," said the captain in a decisive tone. "Before you go, boys, I want to say that you are certainly deserving of praise for your methods of observation; it is exercised in a direction that might be observed with profit by many others."