When the Old Soldier received the General’s message, he set to work at once breaking camp and when the raft arrived the artillery was quickly loaded. The raft made two trips during the day and most of the necessary baggage was taken over to the island.
A line of trenches was considered necessary by the General, who ordered Sergeant Gogo to direct the work and that brave little chap had the trenches done in a remarkably short time.
Nothing more was seen of the wild men, but the closest watch was kept, for there was no telling when they might appear again.
The little soldiers were much too excited to sleep and most of them sat about the tiny camp fire until a late hour talking of the day’s experience, but one by one they finally rolled up in their tiny blankets and slept, while the guards paced back and forth, ever watchful for prowling wild men.
Chapter Fifteen
A COUNCIL OF WAR
For several days the army spent their time building trenches and making a comfortable camp, while the army scouts learned all they could about the wild men and the lie of the land.
The Red Cross tent had been set up and the tiny cots looked very pretty, with their clean white sheets. Fortunately, there had been little use for them, as the army had been unusually healthy, the only exception being the Chinaman, who had been badly bitten by a pollywog, or tadpole, while he was taking a swim in the river.
There had been very little excitement in camp for some time. Not a single wild man had been seen since the morning the army had landed on the raft and the soldiers had nothing much to do while off guard duty but to kill mosquitoes, which were thick about the camp.