Now, lads, two of you stand by this entrance. Keep out of the line of
fire, and be ready with your bayonets to run any one through who comes
out. Let the rest scatter and search round this place. They may have
another entrance. If so, we must find it. In the first place, it may
be easier of entry; in the second they might escape from it after
dark."
Again the search began.
"Do you think it is likely to be higher up or lower down, O'Connor?"
Lieutenant Desmond asked.
"There is no saying, Desmond; the passage seems to go straight in. I
should fancy above rather than below."
For a long time they searched without success; then Ralph, who had
gone higher up the rocks than the rest, came upon a clump of low
bushes growing between some large bowlders. There was nothing
suspicious about them, and he was just turning away when he perceived
a slight odor of peat smoke.
Silently he made his way down to the captain.
"I have found another entrance," he said. "At any rate I think so; for
I certainly smelled smoke. If we go quietly we may take them
unawares."
Captain O'Connor passed the word along for the men to gather silently,
and Ralph then led the way up to the clump of bushes.
"Yes, I can smell the peat plainly enough. Now, Conway, do you search
among the bushes. Carefully, lad, we don't know what the place is
like.
Pages:
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296