“Yes, certainly,” the lieutenant replied quickly, his face showing his appreciation of the pilot’s offer. “I couldn’t order you, but your desire to go speaks highly of your courage. It is our duty, as naval men, to expose ourselves to danger.”
“It’s bred in me, too, sir,” Langdon answered. “I served with the flag during my boyhood, and am ever ready to sacrifice all I have for it.”
“I shall not encumber you with useless messages,” Lieutenant Wilson said finally to Phil as he turned to leave the gate-house and return to the wall; “you know the situation and can explain our fears to Captain Hughes.”
The midshipmen and the pilot went to prepare themselves for their journey, while their senior ascended the wall to dispose his small force in order to guard all approaches and prevent a surprise. There would be few eyes closed in sleep that night; the gravity of the situation was fully impressed on even the sailors accustomed as they were to danger.
Hastily arming themselves with a pair of revolvers each and with plenty of ammunition, the three volunteers again ascended the wall.
The moon had set and the land about the mission was veiled in darkness. The men moved slowly along the wall of the compound, while Langdon’s keen eyes peered into the night to discover the best location to leave the mission. They had traversed nearly half of the wall and were at the far end of the compound before the pilot seemed satisfied that the way was clear. He put out his hand and touched Phil on the shoulder.
“We’ll leave from here,” he whispered; “the Chinese, if they are about, are all in the front. See; the land is clearer; there are not so many graves as in the front to conceal an enemy.”
Throwing themselves down on top of the wall they grasped its edge, and lowered themselves silently to the ground. Langdon led the way directly from the mission, and further into the country. The land here was but slightly cultivated, the ground firm and for the most part clear, so our travelers swung along at a lively pace.
Having covered about a mile, Langdon stopped to allow his companions to join him.
“This is the main road leading into the city,” the pilot informed them as they arrived at the narrow path in which the speaker was standing. “We’ll follow this right into the foreign concession; it’s late, past ten o’clock, and there’ll be no natives on the road. It’s our safest course.”