<TD></TD></TABLE>
eofnd,andnerve,theyobe
relieduponhenceforhereinction,ordifference,
beteersoftherps
anotherfourdayspassedandastheexofficerofengineersuld
suggestnocertainplan,forthedestructionofthetunnel,h
uldbeehesentries
atitsuthjorteeresolvedupondelayingno
longer;butonsendingfouintothetunnel,underlieutenant
ribouville,hinstructionstogoasfarastheyuldina
quarterofanhour,tosetdohebarrelsagainsttherock,to
lightafusecuttobuaquarterofanhour,andthentoretu
atfullspeedtotheuthofthetunnel
onepanyoseizetheotherend,totearupseven,eight,or
tenrails,andtoretireatonceintothehedelayin
gettingtherailsintotheirplacesagainanytrain
entering,frohatend,intiforitsoccupantstoseeand
extinguishthebuingfuse
theotherpanyojointheheadquarters,
theeveningbeforetheattet;andithatthethree
paniesyatbayforhalfanhour,
soastogivetitothepartyhthenitroglyceriotakeit
totherequiredposition,andrejointheirradesiediately
upontheirdoingsotheretreatnce;astheeneuld
notpossiblyperatethetunnel,andextinguishthefuse,before
theexplosiontookplace
theattetadetillthefollowingevening;inorder
thatthebarclaysghtgodohatall
savee,andalongthelinethenextday,acrdingly,theboys
againputontheirdisguisesandstarted;asbefore,takingthe
precautiontochangeinthetobeseenbyanyof
thevillagersuponreahe
tunnelultaneous
exaynotonlyriesstationednear
theentrance;butsofifteenortansoldierswere
sittingorstandingbyasllbuilding,atashortdistance,h
hadevidentlybeentuedintoaguardhouse
”thislooksverychagainstus,ralphonehinkthatthey
hadgotinfortionofourbeingnear”
”itlooksbad,indeed,percyletusgoonintothetownweshall,
perhaps,leasothingaboutit,there”
asharptosaveeasentryyat
theentrancetothetoradesstoodnear
thesentrylookedasifabouttostopthebutseeing,hey
caup,thattheypasshout
question
”hingisup,sureenough”
thisbecareevidentateverysteptheytook,forthelittle
toansoldiers
”unlesstheyarerelyhaltinghere,upontheirrchthrough,it
isallupustbeoverten
here,attheveryleast”
uponquestioningaladofthetotheirohey
foundthatthefreshtroopshadarrivedupontheprecedingday;the
infantrytinginbytrain,lateinthe
eveningbefore;andthreehundredcavalryrchedin,onlyhalfan
hourbeforetheboysarrivaltheyereduponthe
inhabitants,andthereappearedtobenosignoftheirearly
departure
forsotitheboys,houtobtainingany
infortion;althoughtheyenteredadozencabarets,anddrank
nsiderablequantitiesofbeeratlast,beforeoneofthe
principalcafes,theysaanofficerssitting,
talkingnoneoftheinhabitantstingatthecafe;andthe
boysdarednotgointoaskforanything,there,asit
havebeeninacrdancehtheirappearance
”hoogethinhearing,percy”
”lookhere,ralph;ipalong,asifihadsothingin
shoeethenidoep,closeto
theandtakeoffbootyoucansitdoeof
thebreadandcheeseinourpockets,becauseould
noteatitatthelastplaceybootoff,
toeasefoot;andourbreadandcheese,asslowlyas
welike”
”thatally,percy”
inanotherupleofnutesthetting,asagreed,
uponthestepofadoorclosetothecafetheyuldnothearall
thatan
officersasistheircustopokeinaveryloudvoicethey
belongedtotheinfantry;andappeared,inignoranceof
thereasonoftheirsuddenvetosavee
presentlyaealongthestreet
”ah,vonrausen,”ajorintheinfantryexclaid,”areyouhere
ihavenotseenyousinarchedfrolentz”
”no,indeed,jor,”theothersaid,salutingasaprussian
officeralohissuperiorinranktheotherinfantry
officersallrising,andsalutingintu”ein
froagenau”
”areyouinahurry”askedthejor”ifnot,sitdous
talk”
thecavalryofficeracceptedtheinvitationand,forafeinutes,
theirtalkranupontualfriendsthenthejorsaid:
”bytheledoff
atantsnotice;nooneknoofursethe
lonel,andhehasnotthoughtnecessarytotellusand,
naturally,”
”doyounotknoainvonrausensaid”itisnosecretat
least,nosethepeoplehereiwill
speakinfrench;nodoubtthereareplentyofspiesabout”
”thereisnooneinhearing,”thejorsaid,”exceptthosetwo
stupidlookinglads,nchingbreadandcheese”
”therelikelytobespies,”vonrausensaid”fellowswholook
likefoolsarejustthepeoplechosen”
”ajorsaid;”h
understandit,andhen,ifallsaveewere
listening”
”yes,thatwillbesafe
”ation,yesterday,thatthat
rpsoffranctireursont,the
otherday,arehidupinsovillageinthewoods,fourorfive
lesfroere;nodoubtakinganattet
toblohetunneltheideaisadaringoneand,iftheplan
hadsucceeded,itasitis,
orroakean
expedition,andsegentry
”thesefranctireursischievousifa
sharplessonthegeneralsproclationgavenoticethateveryone
oftheakenanto
carryouttheorder”
... </P></TD>
eofnd,andnerve,theyobe
relieduponhenceforhereinction,ordifference,
beteersoftherps
anotherfourdayspassedandastheexofficerofengineersuld
suggestnocertainplan,forthedestructionofthetunnel,h
uldbeehesentries
atitsuthjorteeresolvedupondelayingno
longer;butonsendingfouintothetunnel,underlieutenant
ribouville,hinstructionstogoasfarastheyuldina
quarterofanhour,tosetdohebarrelsagainsttherock,to
lightafusecuttobuaquarterofanhour,andthentoretu
atfullspeedtotheuthofthetunnel
onepanyoseizetheotherend,totearupseven,eight,or
tenrails,andtoretireatonceintothehedelayin
gettingtherailsintotheirplacesagainanytrain
entering,frohatend,intiforitsoccupantstoseeand
extinguishthebuingfuse
theotherpanyojointheheadquarters,
theeveningbeforetheattet;andithatthethree
paniesyatbayforhalfanhour,
soastogivetitothepartyhthenitroglyceriotakeit
totherequiredposition,andrejointheirradesiediately
upontheirdoingsotheretreatnce;astheeneuld
notpossiblyperatethetunnel,andextinguishthefuse,before
theexplosiontookplace
theattetadetillthefollowingevening;inorder
thatthebarclaysghtgodohatall
savee,andalongthelinethenextday,acrdingly,theboys
againputontheirdisguisesandstarted;asbefore,takingthe
precautiontochangeinthetobeseenbyanyof
thevillagersuponreahe
tunnelultaneous
exaynotonlyriesstationednear
theentrance;butsofifteenortansoldierswere
sittingorstandingbyasllbuilding,atashortdistance,h
hadevidentlybeentuedintoaguardhouse
”thislooksverychagainstus,ralphonehinkthatthey
hadgotinfortionofourbeingnear”
”itlooksbad,indeed,percyletusgoonintothetownweshall,
perhaps,leasothingaboutit,there”
asharptosaveeasentryyat
theentrancetothetoradesstoodnear
thesentrylookedasifabouttostopthebutseeing,hey
caup,thattheypasshout
question
”hingisup,sureenough”
thisbecareevidentateverysteptheytook,forthelittle
toansoldiers
”unlesstheyarerelyhaltinghere,upontheirrchthrough,it
isallupustbeoverten
here,attheveryleast”
uponquestioningaladofthetotheirohey
foundthatthefreshtroopshadarrivedupontheprecedingday;the
infantrytinginbytrain,lateinthe
eveningbefore;andthreehundredcavalryrchedin,onlyhalfan
hourbeforetheboysarrivaltheyereduponthe
inhabitants,andthereappearedtobenosignoftheirearly
departure
forsotitheboys,houtobtainingany
infortion;althoughtheyenteredadozencabarets,anddrank
nsiderablequantitiesofbeeratlast,beforeoneofthe
principalcafes,theysaanofficerssitting,
talkingnoneoftheinhabitantstingatthecafe;andthe
boysdarednotgointoaskforanything,there,asit
havebeeninacrdancehtheirappearance
”hoogethinhearing,percy”
”lookhere,ralph;ipalong,asifihadsothingin
shoeethenidoep,closeto
theandtakeoffbootyoucansitdoeof
thebreadandcheeseinourpockets,becauseould
noteatitatthelastplaceybootoff,
toeasefoot;andourbreadandcheese,asslowlyas
welike”
”thatally,percy”
inanotherupleofnutesthetting,asagreed,
uponthestepofadoorclosetothecafetheyuldnothearall
thatan
officersasistheircustopokeinaveryloudvoicethey
belongedtotheinfantry;andappeared,inignoranceof
thereasonoftheirsuddenvetosavee
presentlyaealongthestreet
”ah,vonrausen,”ajorintheinfantryexclaid,”areyouhere
ihavenotseenyousinarchedfrolentz”
”no,indeed,jor,”theothersaid,salutingasaprussian
officeralohissuperiorinranktheotherinfantry
officersallrising,andsalutingintu”ein
froagenau”
”areyouinahurry”askedthejor”ifnot,sitdous
talk”
thecavalryofficeracceptedtheinvitationand,forafeinutes,
theirtalkranupontualfriendsthenthejorsaid:
”bytheledoff
atantsnotice;nooneknoofursethe
lonel,andhehasnotthoughtnecessarytotellusand,
naturally,”
”doyounotknoainvonrausensaid”itisnosecretat
least,nosethepeoplehereiwill
speakinfrench;nodoubtthereareplentyofspiesabout”
”thereisnooneinhearing,”thejorsaid,”exceptthosetwo
stupidlookinglads,nchingbreadandcheese”
”therelikelytobespies,”vonrausensaid”fellowswholook
likefoolsarejustthepeoplechosen”
”ajorsaid;”h
understandit,andhen,ifallsaveewere
listening”
”yes,thatwillbesafe
”ation,yesterday,thatthat
rpsoffranctireursont,the
otherday,arehidupinsovillageinthewoods,fourorfive
lesfroere;nodoubtakinganattet
toblohetunneltheideaisadaringoneand,iftheplan
hadsucceeded,itasitis,
orroakean
expedition,andsegentry
”thesefranctireursischievousifa
sharplessonthegeneralsproclationgavenoticethateveryone
oftheakenanto
carryouttheorder”
... </P></TD>