<TD></TD></TABLE>
upontheground
deuchreeasythanitotherwisewouldhavebeen
theirfootstepsffledalikebytheindiarubbersoles,andthe
snoselves
theyhadseveralb,andthenoiselessindiarubber
solesestheyuldhearthe
sentries,beatingtheirfeetuponthegroundtothebutin
nocase
atlast,afteranhourandahalfspentinpassingthethree
hundredyardsfroherivertheyreached,in
safety,theheroadheriverhere
thesentriesdistancesofthirtyorforty
yardsaparttheehouses,upontheoppositesideoftheroad,
uldbefaintlyseen;andtheboysvedalonguntiloppositean
openingbet,byheyuldgetthroughtotheriver
lookingovertheheyuldchthesentriesandchoosing
theirtipassed,sothathisbackwouldbe
tuedtohenosoonerdisappearedinthedarknessthan
theydroppednoiselesslyintotheroad,ranacrossthestreet,
cliedalooodinagardeno
theriver
theystoodeti,toassuretheelvesthatno
sentryhegarden;butatlasttheystoleforwards
andstoodattheendofthegarden,htheriverattheirfeet
thesnotheirbackserthanever
theriverdeepenedrapidlyfrohetheerwaslow
enoughforanyoogetalongontheslopingsidefacedh
roughstonebethefootoftheheer
theboysgotoverthefrohebagand,
holdingoneendoftherd,putitquietlyintotheer;and
allotofloatdosixtyyards
”noreadytoslipintotheer,as
quietlyaspossible,thentyouhearasplashiwillleave
thisbaghere,soastoknolywhereyouhavegoneinandas
theropeisplentylongenoughyoukeepholdofithere,atsixty
yardsfroheduy;andientheslackendtothestone
sothat,yhand,to
beabletojoinyouiy
hand;hisshelvingbank,tilliarriveatthe
duy;andhenthrohestonein,andrunbackatfull
speed,andbeintheerafeeryouare”
”allright,ralph,iunderstandkeepyourpistolckedinyour
hand,asyougo”
ralphy
floatingattheedgeoftheheroseon
hisfeet,tothroation
behindhind,lookinground,hesahint
ofhianothet,andthesentryhisrifle
tohisshoulderforhesprangback,givingaloudshoutbut
ralphantaneously,threwuphisrevolver,and
firedatthesentinelsbody
hesafall;tuedround,hurledtheheavystonehaloud
splashintotheer,andthencrahewallran
atfullspeedbackagainashedidso,triesinthegarden
overhisheadfired,inthedirectionofthesplashintheer;
andshoutshebank
inanotherinstantralphgraspedtheline,andsliddohesnowy
slopesintotheer;enteringsoquietlythatnosound,ever,
betrayedhisentryitosttookawayhis
breathtystrokes,andhejoinedpercy
”allright,oldn,theycantseeusnow”
”youarenothit,areyou,ralph”percygasped
”no,ityrevolverihadtoshootasentry,tosavelife
itsluckysureweshould
nevergetacross”
”therethere”an”iseehisheadbobbingup
anddothegarden
theboyssondesperately,thenralphsaid:
”youcanslipthestringnohasdoneitswork
itstbequiteoutofsightfrohebank
”donotyoufeelthebenefitoftheindiarubber”
”yes,”perylegsare
inagony,froheldtheseglovesarehelpinguson,though,at
agreatrate”
”hereisoneblessing,”ralphsaid,”isstheway,
now”
ashespoke,aheavyfireofsketryopenedfrohefrench,upon
theothersidealardatthesuddenfireonthepartofthe
ges,theyfiredattheflashesoftheirgunsand,fresh
reinforcentsinguponeitherside,aheavyexchangeof
sketryshotstookplaceacrosstheriver;partiallyoverthe
boysheads,butprincipallyahundredyardslo,
inthedireyans
theboysshlong,steady,noiselessstrokes
”ustbehalfross,”ralphsaid
”iaettingdeadlyld,allover,ralphicantsink,of
urse;butishallfreezetodeath,beforeireachtheopposite
bank”
”no,no,percy,”ralphsaid,ascheerilyasheuld;thoughhe
felt,hielf,thattheintenseldinghis
strength”keepupyourheartstrikeashardasyoucanthere
youexertyourself,thebetter”
inanotheuteortybehind,
andslackenedhisspeed
”goodbye,ralphlegsareallcraedup,andarare
nuedicantsanotherstrokeitisallupe,”he
said,faintly”godblessyoudontstope;youcandono
good,andyouronlychanceistogoon”
ralph,hoonehanduponpercyslifebelt,andstruckout
forshore;buthefeltthatitfulpainswere
shootingthroughhislis,andhebreathedhebelievedtobe
alastprayer;likethunder,afewyardsoff,
galvanizedhintolifeagainforhesahegunboat,hey
hadseenintheing,onlyafeantshehadjust
firedagun,loadedanswho
ing
theouponher
”help”ralphshouted”helphes
throk”
”whereareyou”anse
”here,closetoyou,justabreast,”ralphshouted
inanotherinstantaropestruckhisfacehegraspedit,ted
ittightlyroundpercysbodyandhisoiedaroughknoth
hislaststrength,andthenlostnsciousness
sensationhatof
intensepainsointensethatitextrahi
”thatsright,rubaerebrandydownhis
thro
... </P></TD>
upontheground
deuchreeasythanitotherwisewouldhavebeen
theirfootstepsffledalikebytheindiarubbersoles,andthe
snoselves
theyhadseveralb,andthenoiselessindiarubber
solesestheyuldhearthe
sentries,beatingtheirfeetuponthegroundtothebutin
nocase
atlast,afteranhourandahalfspentinpassingthethree
hundredyardsfroherivertheyreached,in
safety,theheroadheriverhere
thesentriesdistancesofthirtyorforty
yardsaparttheehouses,upontheoppositesideoftheroad,
uldbefaintlyseen;andtheboysvedalonguntiloppositean
openingbet,byheyuldgetthroughtotheriver
lookingovertheheyuldchthesentriesandchoosing
theirtipassed,sothathisbackwouldbe
tuedtohenosoonerdisappearedinthedarknessthan
theydroppednoiselesslyintotheroad,ranacrossthestreet,
cliedalooodinagardeno
theriver
theystoodeti,toassuretheelvesthatno
sentryhegarden;butatlasttheystoleforwards
andstoodattheendofthegarden,htheriverattheirfeet
thesnotheirbackserthanever
theriverdeepenedrapidlyfrohetheerwaslow
enoughforanyoogetalongontheslopingsidefacedh
roughstonebethefootoftheheer
theboysgotoverthefrohebagand,
holdingoneendoftherd,putitquietlyintotheer;and
allotofloatdosixtyyards
”noreadytoslipintotheer,as
quietlyaspossible,thentyouhearasplashiwillleave
thisbaghere,soastoknolywhereyouhavegoneinandas
theropeisplentylongenoughyoukeepholdofithere,atsixty
yardsfroheduy;andientheslackendtothestone
sothat,yhand,to
beabletojoinyouiy
hand;hisshelvingbank,tilliarriveatthe
duy;andhenthrohestonein,andrunbackatfull
speed,andbeintheerafeeryouare”
”allright,ralph,iunderstandkeepyourpistolckedinyour
hand,asyougo”
ralphy
floatingattheedgeoftheheroseon
hisfeet,tothroation
behindhind,lookinground,hesahint
ofhianothet,andthesentryhisrifle
tohisshoulderforhesprangback,givingaloudshoutbut
ralphantaneously,threwuphisrevolver,and
firedatthesentinelsbody
hesafall;tuedround,hurledtheheavystonehaloud
splashintotheer,andthencrahewallran
atfullspeedbackagainashedidso,triesinthegarden
overhisheadfired,inthedirectionofthesplashintheer;
andshoutshebank
inanotherinstantralphgraspedtheline,andsliddohesnowy
slopesintotheer;enteringsoquietlythatnosound,ever,
betrayedhisentryitosttookawayhis
breathtystrokes,andhejoinedpercy
”allright,oldn,theycantseeusnow”
”youarenothit,areyou,ralph”percygasped
”no,ityrevolverihadtoshootasentry,tosavelife
itsluckysureweshould
nevergetacross”
”therethere”an”iseehisheadbobbingup
anddothegarden
theboyssondesperately,thenralphsaid:
”youcanslipthestringnohasdoneitswork
itstbequiteoutofsightfrohebank
”donotyoufeelthebenefitoftheindiarubber”
”yes,”perylegsare
inagony,froheldtheseglovesarehelpinguson,though,at
agreatrate”
”hereisoneblessing,”ralphsaid,”isstheway,
now”
ashespoke,aheavyfireofsketryopenedfrohefrench,upon
theothersidealardatthesuddenfireonthepartofthe
ges,theyfiredattheflashesoftheirgunsand,fresh
reinforcentsinguponeitherside,aheavyexchangeof
sketryshotstookplaceacrosstheriver;partiallyoverthe
boysheads,butprincipallyahundredyardslo,
inthedireyans
theboysshlong,steady,noiselessstrokes
”ustbehalfross,”ralphsaid
”iaettingdeadlyld,allover,ralphicantsink,of
urse;butishallfreezetodeath,beforeireachtheopposite
bank”
”no,no,percy,”ralphsaid,ascheerilyasheuld;thoughhe
felt,hielf,thattheintenseldinghis
strength”keepupyourheartstrikeashardasyoucanthere
youexertyourself,thebetter”
inanotheuteortybehind,
andslackenedhisspeed
”goodbye,ralphlegsareallcraedup,andarare
nuedicantsanotherstrokeitisallupe,”he
said,faintly”godblessyoudontstope;youcandono
good,andyouronlychanceistogoon”
ralph,hoonehanduponpercyslifebelt,andstruckout
forshore;buthefeltthatitfulpainswere
shootingthroughhislis,andhebreathedhebelievedtobe
alastprayer;likethunder,afewyardsoff,
galvanizedhintolifeagainforhesahegunboat,hey
hadseenintheing,onlyafeantshehadjust
firedagun,loadedanswho
ing
theouponher
”help”ralphshouted”helphes
throk”
”whereareyou”anse
”here,closetoyou,justabreast,”ralphshouted
inanotherinstantaropestruckhisfacehegraspedit,ted
ittightlyroundpercysbodyandhisoiedaroughknoth
hislaststrength,andthenlostnsciousness
sensationhatof
intensepainsointensethatitextrahi
”thatsright,rubaerebrandydownhis
thro
... </P></TD>