"Wouldn't it be bully?" cried Bart.
"I'm betting that we shall," said Billy hopefully. "That is, if he
happens to be the prisoner that Dick was telling us about. Of
course that's only a guess."
The order came to fall in, and with Lieutenant Winter at the head
the expedition started out on its long hike. The men moved along
in loose formation, and all loud talking in the ranks or
unnecessary noise was put under the ban.
The night was clear and cold. There was no moon, for which the
boys were thankful. There were no cities along the route, and they
passed through the occasional scattered hamlets without attracting
much attention. Now and then a dog barked and at times a face
could be seen pressed against a window pane. Sometimes a
straggling figure was seen on the road, but at the sight of the
shadowy body of marching men it discreetly vanished into the
fields or woods at the side of the highway.
It was about four o'clock in the morning when they reached the
outskirts of the town that was their destination. The lieutenant
threw out a cordon of men to guard the roads and intercept any one
going to or coming from the place.
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