ould
scarcely see it himself. He decided that the sentries would never notice
it.

Then came the last pause. And when the sentry had passed the rope, Boris
slipped over the parapet and started his descent. He had to come quickly
for he had less than two minutes to reach the ground and join Fred in
his shelter. Down he came, hand over hand, so fast at the end, when he
just slid, letting the rope slip through his fingers, that he must have
burned the skin from his palms. But he made it, and came running toward
Fred. He was crouched low against the ground. But, just before he
reached the bushes there was a shout from above, a flash, a loud report.
A bullet sang over Fred's head, and the next moment the garden was alive
with rushing, shouting men, ablaze with flashing points of electric
light. They tried to hide in the shrubbery. But in vain. At this last
moment, when Fred's plan had seemed sure of success, disaster had
come--for some German officer, going on the roof, had been just in time
to see the rope and spoil everything with his chance shot!

CHAPTER X

SENTENCED

Both Fred and Boris recognized at once the hopelessness of flight. Both
thought instinctively of the hollow and the concealed entrance to the
tunnel, and both knew that to attempt to use that now would not save
them, and would give away a secret that might be supremely important at
some future time, either to them or to someone else among those who
shared the precious secret. The grounds were flashing with light in all
directions; soldiers called to one another; men ran all around, looking
for them.

And yet, hopelessly caught as they were, neither could give up supinely.
Both had the dauntless fighting spirit that must be conquered, that will
never give up, not only while hope remains, but while disaster, be it
ever so certain, has not actually come to pass. They were in a sort of
thicket, almost as thick as a primeval jungle. At the same moment the
thought seemed to come to each of them that the one chance for momentary
safety lay in keeping perfectly still. They were side by side, wedged in
a little opening they had made for themselves, and now they went down
together.

All about them the din of the pursuit continued. Officers were pouring
out of the house to join the hunt. Shouts and cries resounded. Fred had
to smile to himself. It seemed to him that the boasted system and order
of the German army could not be what he had always heard a