Fortunately, none were so
seriously disabled as to be unfit to take their places in the
ranks. The necessity for absolute silence was impressed upon them,
and they were told to march very carefully; as a fall over a stone,
and the crash of a musket on the rocks, might at once call the
attention of a French sentinel. As the troops filed out through the
entrance to the redoubt, Terence congratulated himself upon their
all having sandals, for the sound of their tread was faint, indeed,
to what it would have been had they been marching in heavy boots.

At the other redoubt they were joined by Bull, with his party.
There was a momentary halt while six men, picked for their
intelligence, went on ahead, under the command of Ryan. They were
to move twenty paces apart. If they came upon any solitary
sentinel, one man was to be sent back instantly to stop the column;
while two others crawled forward and surprised and silenced the
sentry. Should their way be arrested by a strong picket, they were
to reconnoitre the ground on either side; and then one was to be
sent back, to guide the column so as to avoid the picket.

When he calculated that Ryan must be nearly a quarter of a mile in
advance, Terence gave orders for the column to move forward. When a
short distance had been traversed, one of the scouts came in, with
the news that there was a cordon of sentries across their path.
They were some fifty paces apart, and some must be silenced before
the march could be continued.

Ten minutes later, another scout brought in news that four of the
French sentries had been surprised and killed, without any alarm
being given; and the column resumed its way, the necessity for
silence being again impressed upon the men. As they went forward,
they received news that two more of the sentries had been killed;
and that there was, in consequence, a gap of 350 yards between
them. A scout led the way through the opening thus formed. It was
an anxious ten minutes, but the passage was effected without any
alarm being given; the booming of the guns engaged in bombarding
the town helping to cover the sound of their footsteps.

It had been settled that Ryan and the column were both to march
straight for a star, low down on the horizon, so that there was no
fear of either taking the wrong direction. In another half hour
they were sure that they were well beyond the French lines; whose
position, indeed, could be made out by the light of their bivouac