ange the corner of the cloth more neatly over
the wrinkled, wounded face....

CHAPTER IX

FLIGHT

"Anyway, we've got to get away from here quick," said Tom, pulling
himself together; "never mind about clothes or anything. One thing sure,
they'll be back here soon. See if he has a watch," he added, indicating
the dead soldier.

"No, but he's got a little compass around his neck; shall I take it?"

"Sure, we got a right to capture anything from the enemy."

"He's got some papers, too."

"All right, take 'em. Come on out through the kitchen way--hurry up.
Don't make any noise. You look for some food--I'll be with you right
away."

Tom crept cautiously out to the road and, kneeling, placed his ear to
the ground. There was no sound, and he hurried back to the stone kitchen
where Archer was stuffing his pockets with such dry edibles as he could
gather.

"All right, come on," he whispered hurriedly. "What have you got?"

"Some hard bread and a couple of salt fish----"

"Give me one of those," Tom interrupted: "and hand me that tablecloth.
Come on. Got some matches?"

"Yes, and a candle, too."

"Good. Don't strike a light. You go ahead, along the plank walk."

Leaving the scene of the tragedy, they hurried along the board walk
under the trellis, Tom dragging the tablecloth so that it swept both of
the narrow planks and obliterated any suggestion of footprints. When
they had gone about fifty yards he stooped and flung the salt fish from
him so that it barely skimmed the earth and rested at some distance from
the path.

"If they should have any dogs with 'em, that'll take 'em off the trail,"
he said.

"I'm sorry I didn't get you a souveneerr too," said Archer, as they
hurried along.

This was the first intimation Tom had that Archer regarded the little
compass merely as a souvenir.

"You can give me those papers you took," he said, half in joke.

"It's only an envelope," Archer said. "Have you got your button all
right?"

"Sure."

When they reached the wine vat, Tom threw the old tablecloth into it,
and pulled the vine more carefully so as to conceal the door. They were
tempted to rest here, but realized that if they spent the balance of the
night in their former refuge it would mean another long day in the dank
hole.

The vineyard ended a few yards from the wine vat and beyond was an area
of open lowlands across which the boys could see a range of low wooded
hills.

"We've got about four