at we have already escaped from the very midst of
these same fellows, it seems to me that we may hope to do that again
anywhere. Anyway, we must try."

"Certainly, we must try! We must get through them without further
delay, for every moment now is of increasing importance."

Stealing forward from the bush, they slowly approached the line which
the Germans were then preparing with entrenchments, and could now hear
from those portions closest at hand the thud of busy picks and the ring
of spades as the men employed them. Here and there a figure was to be
seen standing up in the open, while everywhere else that column of men
which had filed past them had, as it were, disappeared, or almost so;
for already, thanks to the soft nature of the ground and to the rain
which had fallen, the men had dug almost two feet down, and were
partially hidden.

"Halt! Who are you? Why are you not working in the trenches?"

The question was bellowed at them by one of those figures standing out
above the trenches, and, obedient to the order, losing their heads,
indeed, for just one brief moment, Henri and Jules halted.

"Run for it!" whispered Henri; "straight through the line and on into
the darkness! Come, Jules!"

Without a pause, without venturing to answer the question shouted at
them, the two at once took to their heels, and, darting in between the
men labouring at the trenches, sped on into the darkness. Nor was
there any great attempt to arrest them; for, indeed, the men had
already thrown off their tunics and had piled their arms, so that the
only individuals carrying weapons were the officers superintending the
operations. Half a dozen revolver-shots, therefore, were all that were
fired at them, and those went wide in the darkness. Within a few
minutes, in fact, the two were secure from all pursuit, and, provided
there were no advance-parties thrown out in front of the Germans, might
hope to reach their friends without further incident.

"But it is more than likely that pickets will have been posted, so as
to avoid a French surprise," said Henri, "and, although I cannot claim
much acquaintance with German methods as yet, one can imagine that
sentries also have been sent towards our positions. Let's go on in
silence, listening every now and again."

Stealing on through the darkness, they passed on more than one occasion
a ghostly figure standing erect and motionless, keeping guard against
the surprise of his comra