'Hush!' he whispered, and pointed.
Two figures had risen in front, apparently out of the very depths of the earth. They were not more than twenty paces away.
The boys crouched, breathless. A moment later, two other figures loomed through the darkness, coming down the slope. They came straight up to the first two.
'By Eblis, but thou hast not hurried thyself Ali!' said one of the latter, speaking in Turkish. 'Hassan and I were about to come and seek thee.'
One of the others gave a laugh.
'I am sorry, brother. We slept and no one awaked us. Is all well?'
'All is well. What else should it be? Who but a dog of an unbelieving German would waste men's time in guarding such a place as this?'
'Of a truth it is foolishness,' said the man named Ali. 'The British are far enough away, Allah knows.'
'A good watch to thee,' said Hassan in rather a surly tone. Then he and his companion tramped away uphill, and Ali and the other sank down into what was evidently a trench.
Hastily Ken translated what he had heard for Roy.