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Just as George was delivering his reassuring promise Trees felt a fly walking across her nose and sneezed a tremendous sneeze, sending Guns sprawling upon the floor. "Gracious, Hinpoha, can't you hold still a minute?" sighed Nyoda, pushing the hat up from her left eye where it had hung ever since she had knocked it crooked returning the sentry's salute.
"Naught," he lied bravely, "save that I must hang behind for a moment or so to cover any sound with my sentry's step, but I cannot part from you even so small a space without, God-speed. Hurry now, Ma'amselle! They pass from sight!" He pushed her gently after, but she turned against his hand. "Come!" she commanded; "I will not leave you!"
"How the deuce did he do it, Jenkins?" he asked, as soon as he reached the yard. "Well, I'm blessed if I rightly know, your honour," says Jenkins. "He was over the wall before you could say 'knife'. Scott fired and missed him, and then I heard the sentry's musket, but he missed him, too." "Missed him!" cries Frere. "Pretty fellows you are, all of you!
Almost before the sentry's astonishment shaped itself into exclamation, the legionary was tumbled aside as if crushed and the old figure hobbled on. Suddenly there appeared in the path of the wayfarer a galloping horseman, who drew his mount back on his haunches, then spurred him to ride down the old man. The sentry on the Old Wall made a choked sound, unslung his bow and sent an arrow singing.
The aspect of the young private was so pale, haggard and despairing that his friend immediately stopped and exclaimed: "Why Traverse, how ill you look! More fitted for the sick list than the sentry's duties. What the deuce is the matter?" The young soldier touched his hat to his superior and answered sadly, "I am ill, ill in body and mind, sir."
"P'raps you'll see ghosties there, for a change," for it was customary to mount a sentry over "the Dead 'Ole" when it contained an occupant, and one of the sentry's pleasing duties was to rap loudly and frequently upon the door throughout the night to scare away those vermin which are no respecters of persons when the persons happen to be dead and the vermin ravenous.
Time and again some huge iguanodon or a hipsohopus would pass, shaking the ground with its tread; but so implicit was the travellers' trust in the vigilance of their mechanical and tireless watch, that they slept on as calmly and unconcernedly as though they had been in their beds at home, while the tick was as constant and regular as a sentry's march.
"Looks as if the old town was being raided by some enemy," declared Plum, after a short pause, during which another peal of the distant cannon awoke far and wide the dismal night. Loud cries were now heard outside the town house, making the youths' situation one of excitement. In the hall adjoining their prison the steady tramp of the sentry's feet had suddenly ceased.
Then all hands seemed to resign themselves to a genuine siege. On the whole it was quiet outside, except for the occasional jangle of voices and the sentry's pacing. Towards night the uproar grew louder. The saloons were doing a big business, and the sound of rollicking songs and drunken brawls was in the air. Job grew restless and paced the office floor.
Crowing came from the chicken yard, dogs bayed in their kennels, and when a Mohawk pulled the bell at the gate, he could hear the sentry's measured march. At the end of seven days not a white man had come from the fort. At first the Mohawks had thought the "black robes" were at prayers; but now suspicions of trickery flashed on the Iroquois. Warriors climbed the palisades and found the fort empty.
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