The patrol moved on, the officer in charge turning back to inquire: ‘Any sign of the spy?’
‘No, sir,’ replied the sentry, and Luce’s heart thrilled with joy at the word.
Presently the sentry resumed his beat, and Lucius slipped past and continued his heedful advance. The most difficult part of his work lay before him, for the outposts were in strength, and their advanced sentries had also to be negotiated. Still he thought that, once past the outposts, he would be able to show the sentinels a clean pair of heels. But there was one thing on which he had not reckoned, and presently he came upon a sight which took his breath away. A line of light lay right across his path—the bivouac fires of the pickets.
They extended as far as he could see on either hand, and the boy’s heart sank within him as he wondered how he should pass across that line of radiant light without being discovered. However, on closer investigation, he saw to his intense relief that, though the fires were not very far apart, yet between each was a dark space, and through one of these he trusted to be able to slip. Moreover, he noted that, while most of the men were lying down, some few were standing up or walking about, and so was led to hope that his upright figure, if observed at all, would not attract attention.
There was no help for it—it had to be done; so drawing a long breath he set his teeth hard, and making carefully for the dark path between two of the fires, advanced with firm and deliberate step.
Some one spoke to him as he came on. He did not hear the question, but he was conscious of returning an answer of some sort, though a moment afterwards he could not have told what he had said.
He reached the coveted path between the two fires, and again a soldier who was reclining by one of them hailed him.
‘That yew, Dick?’ asked the man. ‘Why can’t yew keep still? I believe yew’re a funk.’
Lucius spared a thought to bless the restless Dick, and strode on.
‘Dick,’ said the man again, ‘did yew hear that?—Why, Dick! Look at him! By’——