Part 12 (1/2)

”Suppose you don't get away, Jack? Shall I wait here?”

”Wait until daylight, no longer. Not quite daylight, either. Let's see--figure to the sunrise, and wait till half an hour before that. And if you do have to go back alone, don't take any chances at all on being caught. Make even a wider circle than we did coming here, and don't go near Mardean. The car is a good deal more important than any of us. And don't forget, if you do have to leave the car and take to the woods, to take the spark plug with you. Do that, even if you just get out to get a drink at a well, or anything like that. Remember that we're right in the heart of the enemy's country, and you can't tell what minute you're likely to be attacked.”

”All right, Jack. I don't believe they'll see me here, either. But I'll do the best I can if they do, and I'll be here, unless they pick me up and carry me away.”

”That's the right spirit, Tom! I think you've got the hardest part of all. Pete and I've got something to do, and something pretty exciting, too. But you've just got to wait here in the dark for something to happen.”

”Don't let it get on your nerves, Tom,” said Pete. ”It's hard work, but keep your nerve, and you'll be all right. Coming, Jack? So long, Tom!”

”So long, Pete and Jack! Good luck! I hope you'll get away from them all right--and get what you're after, too.”

It was almost pitch dark by this time. The moon would not rise until very late, and the night had the peculiar blackness that sometimes comes before the moon appears. The country was thickly wooded here, which worked to the advantage of Jack and his companion. Most of the country in which Jack had been operating so far had been fairly open, which would have increased the difficulty of their task very much if the scene of operations had not been s.h.i.+fted eastward by the action near Newville that morning.

”How far are we from their headquarters now, Jack?” asked Pete.

”About a mile and a half, I think, Pete. I can't be sure, of course, but I think that's a pretty good guess. I could have run the car a little nearer and probably still been safe, but I didn't want to take chances.

If we lose the car we can't get it back. If we're captured, why, they can get someone else to run the car, but we wouldn't be any good if we lost the machine.”

”We'll want to be pretty careful, though, as we go along, Jack.”

”Sure we will! But it won't be any harder than scouting the way we've learned to do, Pete. These people aren't looking for us, and we've done a lot of scouting when other fellows who were on the lookout for us knew just about where we were.”

The lay of the land favored the two Scouts decidedly as they made their way onward. They were able to progress through the woods, but they did not have to go so deep into them that they could not observe, as they moved along, the situation in the open country that marched with the woods. In these fields they saw the twinkling of numerous fires, and they judged that the enemy was thick alongside, so to speak.

”They ought to watch these woods better than they do,” whispered Jack.

”Gee, I can see how their whole camp is laid out! That's one thing they're weak in--and it shows how important it is. They have fine strategy, but they're weak on details, like guarding their camp. If they don't watch these woods better when we start to make our get-away, we'll have it pretty easy.”

”That looks like headquarters, Jack. See, over there?”

”You're right, Pete. And I'll bet they're planning to move before daylight, too. That's why 'Lights out!' was sounded so early. That was the call we heard about three quarters of an hour ago.”

A light still showed in one of two big, adjoining tents, however, and the sound of voices came distinctly from it.

Jack waited until they were abreast of the tent.

”This will be a good place, Pete,” he said. ”There'll be a guard there.

We want to pretend to make a run for it. Come on, now--make a little noise!”

Pete obeyed. The next moment the sharp challenge of a sentry rang out, and a shot followed. Jack and Pete ran, as if frightened and confused, right out into the midst of the sleeping men, and a moment later they were the prisoners of a group of laughing militiamen.

CHAPTER XII

A RACE FOR FREEDOM

”They've got us, Pete,” said Jack, dejectedly.

”Here, who are you, and where did you come from?” said a sleepy officer, running up.