Straight before them the long, bright beam of a searchlight was slowly sweeping the sky, searching for German aeroplanes.
The men were against a line of bushes.
“Be careful, Edmond!” whispered the girl. “They are coming this way.”
But they were not, for they could see that the dark figures silhouetted against the night sky were receding.
Straight before them was another dark copse, which led up the side of the low hill.
When the Germans had gone, Aimée and her lover crept forward noiselessly, making their way to the cover afforded by the copse which, Edmond had concluded, lay between the opposing lines.
They had, however, not gone more than a hundred yards when a German sentry sprang suddenly forth from the shadow, with fixed bayonet, and uttered a loud, gruff challenge in German:
“Halt! Who goes there?”
Aimée, startled, drew back in terror, clinging to her lover’s arm. But only for a second. Then she drew herself up again, and stood motionless at his side.
“Who goes there?” again demanded the sentry, in a tone of quick suspicion. “Come forward,” he commanded in an imperious voice. “Who are you?” Neither spoke. In their ignorance they were walking right into the enemy’s camp! They were entrapped!