“What’s up, Jones?”

“I want to know what that dark line means there in front.”

“It’s a gully,” says he.

“I wish you would go out there and look about you; I think our post ought to be where we can see into it.”

“All right,” said he; “I’ll go and look at it.”

I remained on post.  It would not do, I thought, to give any intimation to the men that I had been to the ravine; they were standing near me.

In two minutes Willis returned.

“Jones,” says he; “move your post up here.  You men stay where you are.”

We went out together, Willis and I, to the edge of the ravine.

“You’re right, Jones,” he says, in a whisper; “the post ought to be here.”

“Yes; it would be easy for those fellows over yonder to surprise us.  This ravine ought to be watched in the day even.”

The sergeant showed no intention of leaving me; he seemed to be thinking.  Suddenly he gave his thigh, a resounding slap.

“There!” says he, “now I’ve done it—­but maybe they won’t know what that noise means.  Say, Jones, I’ve got an idea.”

“Let’s have it.”

“We can get lots of fun out here.”

“I don’t understand.  What are you driving at?”

“Well,” says he, “you just leave it all to me.  Don’t you say a word to them fellows.  I’ll fix it up and let you in, too.  Just be mum now, old man.”

“Tell me what you mean.”

But he had already started back.

It ought to be showing signs of day behind me, I was thinking; yet the weather was bad, and, although it had stopped raining, I knew that in all likelihood we should have a thick fog which would prolong the duty of the vedettes and make another relief necessary.

When Willis appeared again, three other men were following—­good men of Company D. I could hear him say to my two fellows; “Go on back to the line; your time’s not up, but you are relieved.”

When he reached me, he put Thompson in my place, and led the way back a short distance and into the edge of the woods.

“Now, men,” says he; “we’re going to make a fort of that ravine.  We want to fill these sand-bags, and we want some straw or something to screen them.  Jones, you must go twenty yards or so beyond the gully till I whistle for you, or call you.  The rest of us will do the work while you watch.”

The sergeant’s little scheme for having his fun was now clear enough.  One of the party had brought a spade, and I noticed that others seemed to have come up in no light marching order.  Willis meant to occupy the ravine and remain for the day, if possible, in this advanced post, so near the rebels that his bullets would not fall short.  It was all clear enough.