We were beyond
the vigilance of sentinels, and could be discovered now only through
some accidental encounter. I touched Le Gaire on the shoulder, and
whispered in his ear:
"How much farther is it?"
"'Bout half a mile, sah," staring about into what to me was impenetrable
darkness. "Yo' see de forked tree dar on de lef'?"
I was not sure, yet there was something in that direction which might
be what he described.
"I guess so--why?"
"I 'members dat tree, for dar's a spring just at de foot ob it."
"Is the rest of the way hard?"
"No, sah, not wid me goin' ahead of yo', for dar's a medium good path
from de spring up to de top o' de hill. I'se pow'ful feared though we
might run across some ob dem Confed sojers 'round yere."
I tried to look at him, but could see only the whites of his eyes, but
his voice somehow belied his words--to my mind there was no fear in the
fellow. I passed back word along the line, and found all the men
present. Not a sound came out of the night, and I ordered the ex-slave
to lead on.
CHAPTER XVIII
OVERHEARD CONVERSATION
It was a little gully, hardly more than a tramped footpath, leading down
the bank up which we crept until we attained the level. With eyes
sharpened by the long night vigil we could perceive the dim outlines of
buildings, and a glow or two of distant lights.
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