The base of the low elevation lay before them, and Jack was now down on his hands and knees starting to make the ascent. It was beginning to get real exciting, and Amos felt his heart thumping heavily against his ribs as he contemplated the surprise and alarm of the spy when they started to giving tongue.
As they drew closer they could make out what he was doing much better than before. He had something in his hands, which Amos at once decided must be the stick about which the stout cord had been wound. That the kite was of fair size and pulled at times rather strenuously he judged from the way the unknown used his arms.
Jack seemed to be decidedly clever about this creeping business. Amos was afraid he could hardly be put in the same class as his cousin. He even feared that on several occasions he must have inadvertently snapped some small twig that his knees pressed heavily upon.
The sounds seemed almost like thunder notes to Amos, so keyed up were the boy’s nerves, but that must have been mostly imagination, for the man did not appear to have become alarmed by the sound.
There was no longer the slightest doubt concerning his occupation, for by now Amos could see that he certainly clutched some object that required considerable effort to hold. The kite probably was very large, Amos decided.
Perhaps the man had already quite enough of his task, for they could plainly hear him grumbling to himself, and Amos was sure he caught low spoken words in unmistakable German.
As seen outlined against the gray sky beyond, the man appeared to be turned half way around. Instead of looking toward the quarter where the kite flew, his attention seemed to be wholly taken up in the opposite direction.
Amos was puzzled to account for this at first, but he quickly grasped the meaning. Of course, the spy was looking for some sign that would tell him his message had been seen and understood by those for whom it was intended.
Jack’s hand fell on the arm of his chum. Although no arrangement had been made between them, Amos guessed that the time was at hand for the coup his companion had arranged.
Then Jack gave tongue, and his experience on the cattle ranch in company with a lively set of cow-punchers had made him a first-class hand at letting out a fierce whoop.