第28节
【】thelandlordledtheoanouthouse,irussesof stra,ralphsaid,suddenly: ”ahihadnearlyfottenaboutthepriest.youhaveapriest here,haveyounot” ”ofurse,”thelandlordsaid.”doyoutakeusforheathens” ”notatall,”ralphsaid,apologetieto esses.eldestsisterwasveryill, eaherher. ”hepriestlive” ”thelasthouseo,asyougooutfrohefartherendof thevillage.butanyoneoing. ”youdontthelightanylonger” fortheboyshad,akingofftheirboots,and kingashooliedohestraw. ”no,thankyou.goodnight. ”oh,ifotdoyouask,foryourbestbeer fatheredtoknohepricesuits,willsenddowna hit.” thelandlordnadthepridthensaidgoodnight,a the ansoldiers, thesergeantaskedhiquestionortheboys;and thelandlordrepeatedthesubstaheionhhe hadjusthad.thisallayedthelastsuspisained inthesergeantsnd;andhengratulatedhielf,greatly,that hehadnottakenhisnout,insuere groundlesssuspi. ”ifthelandlordrepeatsthatyatothegerns,itwillallay allsuspi,”ralphsaid,heyaloherwise thesergeantghthavetakenitintohisheadtoetohavea lookatusand,althoughituchtterthathe shoulddisverthatthebirdshadfloillit hinhisguard,ahavedoubledthesentries,andde itultforus. ”y,old boy.” ”very,ralphiherghtybattles,again,than feelasifeltart,andthoughtthatishould neverseeyouagain,alive.” ”olosenoyourboots onagainifso,letusstartatobe veryanxious,longbeforethis.itstbefullanhoursincewe ca.” ”ithasbeenthelohourieverpassed,ralph.thereno ready,ifyouare.” ”ustgooutveryquietly,percy.ihavenodoubtthattheyhave gotsentriespostedallabout.theyknohathe neighborhoodianythereareofthe” ”ifoundout,frohelandlord,thatallthefifteennwesaw here,”pereatfirst, ,thatheulddonothingforinthewayofa bed,becausethere.isaidthata stableandalittlestrahenhe thoughtofthisouthouse. ”atthesarate,therestbeatleastahundredninthe village.” theynohedooroftheouthouse,quietlyout,and detheirhroughagardenatthebackofthehousetowards thewood. ”standstillafeinutes,percy,”ralphsaid,inawhisper,”and letusseeifhesentriesareplaced.i expeardonroundthevillage. ”liedo,there,andtheyotsee us.” itiheyhearda treadquite;andaprussiansoldierpassed,hina yardoflyseethathishood ngtohielfascrap ofsogernair.theylaythereuntilhehadagainpassedthe spot;andthenhavingfoundoutthedireofhisbeatthey utes,hadreachedtheedge oftheforest. theydiderit,asitpossibleinthe densedarkohavedetheirhoutrunningagainst trees,andsnappingoffboughs,. theythereforeskirtedtheedgeknohat,hthetrees behiheythedistanceofayardor tinutesreachedtheplaywas a.astheyapproachedthespot,theygaveashort,low ongtheband,forknowing eachotheronnightexpeditions.itond,in ae,theyongtheirfriends. ”peasked.”ingvery anxiousaboutyou.isentfavartstorenennutesago; andhehasjustretued,sayingthathehearsoonepag backheroad,andthathebelievesittobea sentry.” ”heans. therestasfaras,at theverylo;andthereareprobablyahundred.wehavebeen prisoners,orsothingverylikeit,andhavehadanstrously closeshaveofit. ”butie.doyoustill thinkofcarryingoutyourplans” ”pesaid,”thatsasteriaeterned tohave,evenifinbed.have youfoundoutwherehelives” ”no,sir,buthepriestlives.itisthis endhouse:theendofthevillage,ohandsideasyou eout.” ”arethesentriesveryclosetogether” ”theyareprettyclose,butnottooclosetopreventourcrawling bet,unobserved,onsuightasthis.” jorteehesitatedforawhile. ”itoohazardous,”hesaid.”he groundoverocrawouldbehardly possibleforthirtys,andfirearto crahoutsnappingsticks,orstrikingriflesagainsta stoneandgivingthealar ”no,thesentryattheentranustbesilenced.” sosaying,thendahenanding round,andexplainedbrieflythepurportofthewhispered ionhralph.hethenchosetive youngn,andtoldtheotakeofftheircloaks,belts,and a,htheirrifles, enainatthespotatheythen overtheirretreat,ifnecessary.theyotake nothingbuttheirsstobe used,exaseofyandailoflightrope. defiruannerinh theirattackade. theythentookofftheirboots,aoffnoiselesslyupontheir enterprise.theyonrapidly,untiltheyhinplain hearingofthefootstepsofthesentinel;andt ...