“You see,” said Freeman, “we can all run out when we want to.”

Noon had come; after eating, I became exceedingly sleepy; I must make some effort to keep awake.

“Sergeant,” I said, “if you say so, I’ll go down the gully a little, and see what’s there.”

“All right, Jones; but don’t go far.”

I soon reached a turn in the ravine—­a turn to the right, toward our line.  I went on; this stretch was short; the ravine turned toward the left, getting deeper as it went; again it turned to the left, running for the Warwick, I supposed—­certainly running straight toward the rebels.  I came back and reported.

“Well,” says Willis, “if they come on us, we’ll have to run.  We must keep two sentinels on post now.”

Thompson was posted at the bend.

It was difficult to believe that the rebels would venture up the gully; they could not know how small was our force; if they should march a company up the ravine, the company would be exposed to capture by a sudden rush of our skirmishers.  It was probable, however, that a few men would try to sneak up in order to see how many we were; yet even this supposition was not necessary, for the rebels were having everything their own way, and need risk nothing.  So I decided in my own mind to be as patient as possible until dark.

The firing on both sides had ceased, except that an occasional Whitworth bullet would come at us, fired at such long range that we could not hear the report; the heads of the rebels were no longer seen.  What were they planning?  I was uneasy; I wished that we could find a means for communicating with our friends in the rear; if they would open fire again, we might rush out.  Yet after all it was best to be quiet until dark.

I relieved Freeman at the porthole; Holt relieved Thompson at the bend.  Since eleven o’clock Fort Willis had not fired a shot; our game had been blocked.  The notion now came to me that if the rebels wanted us, the way to get us would be to send men up the ravine just before dark, and at the same time for a squad of them to steal through the woods to our left, where they would be ready for us when we should steal out.

“Sergeant!”

“What?”

“Think we’d better get back.”

“What’s the matter now?”

“Just at dark is the time for the rebels to catch us.”

“Fact, by—!” says Willis.

“If you want to get out,” said Freeman, the inventor, “I’m here to tell you how to do it.”

“Le’s have it,” says Willis.

“Make a big smoke!”

Why had I not thought of that expedient?  Between, us and Holt, down at the bend, there was brush growing on the sides of the ravine.  Our knives and the spade were put to use; soon we had a big heap of green boughs and sprigs.  It would take work to touch her off, for there was no dry wood; but we managed by finding the remains of cartridge papers and using a free supply of gunpowder.  When all was ready, Holt was recalled, and the match was struck.