and the tinkle of the sheep-bell brought me to my waking senses.
Uncle Job was still beside me; but he too had fallen asleep. I looked
out from the straw, and saw what it was that had aroused me. Two men, in
boat-cloaks, cocked hats, and swords, stood by the hurdles about twenty
yards off.

'I turned my ear thitherward to catch what they were saying, but though I
heard every word o't, not one did I understand. They spoke in a tongue
that was not ours--in French, as I afterward found. But if I could not
gain the meaning of a word, I was shrewd boy enough to find out a deal of
the talkers' business. By the light o' the moon I could see that one of
'em carried a roll of paper in his hand, while every moment he spoke
quick to his comrade, and pointed right and left with the other hand to
spots along the shore. There was no doubt that he was explaining to the
second gentleman the shapes and features of the coast. What happened
soon after made this still clearer to me.

'All this time I had not waked Uncle Job, but now I began to be afeared
that they might light upon us, because uncle breathed so heavily
through's nose. I put my mouth to his ear and whispered, "Uncle Job."

'"What is it, my boy?" he said, just as if he hadn't been asleep at all.

'"Hush!" says I. "Two French generals--"

'"French?" says he.

'"Yes," says I. "Come to see where to land their army!"

'I pointed 'em out; but I could say no more, for the pair were coming at
that moment much nearer to where we lay. As soon as they got as near as
eight or ten yards, the officer with a roll in his hand stooped down to a
slanting hurdle, unfastened his roll upon it, and spread it out. Then
suddenly he sprung a dark lantern open on the paper, and showed it to be
a map.

'"What be they looking at?" I whispered to Uncle Job.

'"A chart of the Channel," says the sergeant (knowing about such things).

'The other French officer now stooped likewise, and over the map they had
a long consultation, as they pointed here and there on the paper, and
then hither and thither at places along the shore beneath us. I noticed
that the manner of one officer was very respectful toward the other, who
seemed much his superior, the second in rank calling him by a sort of
title that I did not know the sense of. The head one, on the other hand,
was quite familiar with his friend, and more than once clapped him on the
shoulder.

'Uncle Job had watched as well as I, b