“What a crazy idea! The Chief wouldn’t consider it for a moment; it’s too dangerous.”
“’Spose it is,” admitted Sam. “I was only thinking what fun this is, and not of——Say, Hugh, did you hear footsteps just now?”
“I thought I did, but wasn’t sure. Listen.”
Floating easily on their backs, the two lads lay motionless in the water under the overhanging rock, and strained their ears to catch a suspicious sound. To their intense surprise, a man’s voice broke the silence.
“Captain Groome’s division is just beyond here,” it said softly. “He intends to meet your colonel half a mile beyond the intersection of two trails in the wood, at the rear of the Blue camp, and advance upon them from that point, early to-morrow morning. The Blues have no idea that we’re so close to them.”
“They’re looking for us down the valley,” responded a deeper voice. “Thanks for the information, sir. I’ll go back now and report it at once to the colonel.”
“And so will we, Sam!” added Hugh, in an excited whisper, when the unknown speakers had returned whence they had come. “Do you know what this means? Why, we’ve overheard two Red officers confiding plans for an attack on us to-morrow!”
“Sure this war game hasn’t turned your head, Hugh?”
“Of course it hasn’t! Didn’t you hear them with your own ears?”
“Yes, but I couldn’t make much sense out of what they were saying.”