<TD></TD></TABLE>
thelandlordledtheoanouthouse,irussesof
stra,ralphsaid,suddenly:
”ahihadnearlyforgottenaboutthepriestyouhaveapriest
here,haveyounot”
”ofurse,”thelandlordsaid”doyoutakeusforheathens”
”notatall,”ralphsaid,apologetieto
esseseldestsisterwasveryill,
eaherher
”hepriestlive”
”thelasthouseontheleft,asyougooutfrohefartherendof
thevillagebutanyoneoing
”youdontthelightanylonger”
fortheboyshad,akingofftheirboots,and
kingashooliedohestraw
”no,thankyougoodnight
”oh,iforgotdoyoucharge,acask,foryourbestbeer
fatheredtoknohepricesuits,willsenddowna
carttofetchit”
thelandlordnadtheprice,andthensaidgoodnight,andleft
the
ansoldiers,
thesergeantaskedhiquestionortheboys;and
thelandlordrepeatedthesubstanceofthenversationhhe
hadjusthadthisallayedthelastsuspicionsained
inthesergeantsnd;andhengratulatedhielf,greatly,that
hehadnottakenhisnout,insuere
groundlesssuspicion
”ifthelandlordrepeatsthatyatotheges,itwillallay
allsuspicion,”ralphsaid,heyalone”otherwise
thesergeantghthavetakenitintohisheadtoetohavea
lookatusand,althoughituchtterthathe
shoulddisverthatthebirdshadfloillit
hinhisguard,andheghthavedoubledthesentries,andde
itchredifficultforus
”y,old
boy”
”very,ralphihergothroughtybattles,again,than
feelasifeltart,andthoughtthatishould
neverseeyouagain,alive”
”olosenoyourboots
onagainifso,letusstartatonenstbe
veryanxious,longbeforethisitstbefullanhoursincewe
ca”
”ithasbeenthelongesthourieverpassed,ralphthereno
ready,ifyouare”
”ustgooutveryquietly,percyihavenodoubtthattheyhave
gotsentriespostedallabouttheyknohathe
neighborhoodianythereareofthe”
”ifoundout,frohelandlord,thatallthefifteennwesaw
here,”pereatfirst,
,thatheulddonothingforinthewayofa
bed,becausethereisaidthata
stableandalittlestrahenhe
thoughtofthisouthouse
”atthesarate,therestbeatleastahundredninthe
village”
theynohedooroftheouthouse,quietlyout,and
detheirhroughagardenatthebackofthehousetowards
thewood
”standstillafeinutes,percy,”ralphsaid,inawhisper,”and
letusseeifhesentriesareplacedi
expeardonroundthevillage
”liedo,there,andtheycannotsee
us”
itinute,theyhearda
treadquite;andaprussiansoldierpassed,hina
yardoflyseethathishood
ngtohielfascrap
ofsogeairtheylaythereuntilhehadagainpassedthe
spot;andthenhavingfoundoutthedirectionofhisbeatthey
crainutes,hadreachedtheedge
oftheforest
theydidnotenterit,asitpossibleinthe
densedarknesstohavedetheirhoutrunningagainst
trees,andsnappingoffboughs,
theythereforeskirtedtheedgeknohat,hthetrees
behindthetheythedistanceofayardor
tinutesreachedtheplacepanywas
aastheyapproachedthespot,theygaveashort,low
ongtheband,forknowing
eachotheronnightexpeditionsitonceand,in
anotheute,theyongtheirfriends
”peasked”ingvery
anxiousaboutyouisentfavartstorennoiter,tennutesago;
andhehasjustretued,sayingthathecanhearsoonepacing
backheroad,andthathebelievesittobea
sentry”
”heans
therestasfaras,at
theverylo;andthereareprobablyahundredwehavebeen
prisoners,orsothingverylikeit,andhavehadanstrously
closeshaveofit
”butiedoyoustill
thinkofcarryingoutyourplans”
”pesaid,”thatsasteriaeteed
tohave,evenifinbedhave
youfoundoutwherehelives”
”no,sir,buthepriestlivesitisthis
endhouse:theendofthevillage,onthelefthandsideasyou
eout”
”arethesentriesveryclosetogether”
”theyareprettyclose,butnottooclosetopreventourcrawling
bet,unobserved,onsuchanightasthis”
jorteehesitatedforawhile
”itoohazardous,”hesaid”he
groundoverocrawouldbehardly
possibleforthirtynents,andfirearto
crahoutsnappingsticks,orstrikingriflesagainsta
stoneandgivingthealar
”no,thesentryattheentranustbesilenced”
sosaying,thendanttuedtothenanding
round,andexplainedbrieflythepurportofthewhispered
nversationhralphhethenchosetive
youngn,andtoldtheotakeofftheircloaks,belts,and
a,htheirrifles,
enainatthespotatheythen
overtheirretreat,ifnecessarytheyotake
nothingbuttheirsstobe
used,exceptincaseofnecessityandailoflightrope
definiteinstruannerinh
theirattackade
theythentookofftheirboots,andsetoffnoiselesslyupontheir
enterprisetheyonrapidly,untiltheyhinplain
hearingofthefootstepsofthesentinel;andt
... </P></TD>
thelandlordledtheoanouthouse,irussesof
stra,ralphsaid,suddenly:
”ahihadnearlyforgottenaboutthepriestyouhaveapriest
here,haveyounot”
”ofurse,”thelandlordsaid”doyoutakeusforheathens”
”notatall,”ralphsaid,apologetieto
esseseldestsisterwasveryill,
eaherher
”hepriestlive”
”thelasthouseontheleft,asyougooutfrohefartherendof
thevillagebutanyoneoing
”youdontthelightanylonger”
fortheboyshad,akingofftheirboots,and
kingashooliedohestraw
”no,thankyougoodnight
”oh,iforgotdoyoucharge,acask,foryourbestbeer
fatheredtoknohepricesuits,willsenddowna
carttofetchit”
thelandlordnadtheprice,andthensaidgoodnight,andleft
the
ansoldiers,
thesergeantaskedhiquestionortheboys;and
thelandlordrepeatedthesubstanceofthenversationhhe
hadjusthadthisallayedthelastsuspicionsained
inthesergeantsnd;andhengratulatedhielf,greatly,that
hehadnottakenhisnout,insuere
groundlesssuspicion
”ifthelandlordrepeatsthatyatotheges,itwillallay
allsuspicion,”ralphsaid,heyalone”otherwise
thesergeantghthavetakenitintohisheadtoetohavea
lookatusand,althoughituchtterthathe
shoulddisverthatthebirdshadfloillit
hinhisguard,andheghthavedoubledthesentries,andde
itchredifficultforus
”y,old
boy”
”very,ralphihergothroughtybattles,again,than
feelasifeltart,andthoughtthatishould
neverseeyouagain,alive”
”olosenoyourboots
onagainifso,letusstartatonenstbe
veryanxious,longbeforethisitstbefullanhoursincewe
ca”
”ithasbeenthelongesthourieverpassed,ralphthereno
ready,ifyouare”
”ustgooutveryquietly,percyihavenodoubtthattheyhave
gotsentriespostedallabouttheyknohathe
neighborhoodianythereareofthe”
”ifoundout,frohelandlord,thatallthefifteennwesaw
here,”pereatfirst,
,thatheulddonothingforinthewayofa
bed,becausethereisaidthata
stableandalittlestrahenhe
thoughtofthisouthouse
”atthesarate,therestbeatleastahundredninthe
village”
theynohedooroftheouthouse,quietlyout,and
detheirhroughagardenatthebackofthehousetowards
thewood
”standstillafeinutes,percy,”ralphsaid,inawhisper,”and
letusseeifhesentriesareplacedi
expeardonroundthevillage
”liedo,there,andtheycannotsee
us”
itinute,theyhearda
treadquite;andaprussiansoldierpassed,hina
yardoflyseethathishood
ngtohielfascrap
ofsogeairtheylaythereuntilhehadagainpassedthe
spot;andthenhavingfoundoutthedirectionofhisbeatthey
crainutes,hadreachedtheedge
oftheforest
theydidnotenterit,asitpossibleinthe
densedarknesstohavedetheirhoutrunningagainst
trees,andsnappingoffboughs,
theythereforeskirtedtheedgeknohat,hthetrees
behindthetheythedistanceofayardor
tinutesreachedtheplacepanywas
aastheyapproachedthespot,theygaveashort,low
ongtheband,forknowing
eachotheronnightexpeditionsitonceand,in
anotheute,theyongtheirfriends
”peasked”ingvery
anxiousaboutyouisentfavartstorennoiter,tennutesago;
andhehasjustretued,sayingthathecanhearsoonepacing
backheroad,andthathebelievesittobea
sentry”
”heans
therestasfaras,at
theverylo;andthereareprobablyahundredwehavebeen
prisoners,orsothingverylikeit,andhavehadanstrously
closeshaveofit
”butiedoyoustill
thinkofcarryingoutyourplans”
”pesaid,”thatsasteriaeteed
tohave,evenifinbedhave
youfoundoutwherehelives”
”no,sir,buthepriestlivesitisthis
endhouse:theendofthevillage,onthelefthandsideasyou
eout”
”arethesentriesveryclosetogether”
”theyareprettyclose,butnottooclosetopreventourcrawling
bet,unobserved,onsuchanightasthis”
jorteehesitatedforawhile
”itoohazardous,”hesaid”he
groundoverocrawouldbehardly
possibleforthirtynents,andfirearto
crahoutsnappingsticks,orstrikingriflesagainsta
stoneandgivingthealar
”no,thesentryattheentranustbesilenced”
sosaying,thendanttuedtothenanding
round,andexplainedbrieflythepurportofthewhispered
nversationhralphhethenchosetive
youngn,andtoldtheotakeofftheircloaks,belts,and
a,htheirrifles,
enainatthespotatheythen
overtheirretreat,ifnecessarytheyotake
nothingbuttheirsstobe
used,exceptincaseofnecessityandailoflightrope
definiteinstruannerinh
theirattackade
theythentookofftheirboots,andsetoffnoiselesslyupontheir
enterprisetheyonrapidly,untiltheyhinplain
hearingofthefootstepsofthesentinel;andt
... </P></TD>