第29节
【】henverycautiously and,osttotheground,soasnotttheir bodiesonalevelhhiseye,theycreptupfootbyfoottothe endofhisbeat.heretheye,whilehepassedand repassedtheunthinkingofthedeadlyfoeheystretched outtheirhands,uldhavetouloakashe. atlast,thesendtihepassedthenhisohe village,theyrosetogetherbehindhiinaninstantonehad garrotedhiststrangledhiand preveteringtheslightestsouhergrasped hisriflebythelock,soastopreventthepossibilityofits beingfired.inanotherinstant,theriflethegrasp ofthealststupefiedn;rdsightlyroundhis arandlegs;ahandkerchiefouth,and fasteherebyardgoingaouthandtiedbehindthe headand,beforethebeanfairlyknehadhappened, heheroadside. ohefranctireursnondantthat thenuldadvance;heotherseleiallybecause heuoodalittlegernputonthespikedheltofthe capturedsentry,aoo repeatthecryof”allbepassedround. thepanyovedup.tennatthepoint heseoveraretreat;ortoassistthe sentry,incaseofanypartyingouttorelieveguard,andso disveringthegeakenplace.theothers,ledby thendant,proceededforiloppositethepriests house,insillbuing;forit,asyet, tenok. jortee,aiedonlybytenandbyralphbarclay,to interpret,ifneautiouslyuptothehouse.the lightonthegroundfloor.tothisjortee advand,lookingin,sahepriestsittingreading,alone.he tappedverygentlyatthehepriest,lookingup,gave astartuponseeinganardnlookinginatthewindow. jorteeputhisfiohislips,toenforcethey forsilentoopentheera ationthepriestrosefroisseat,catothe e;takiprecautionsagainstnoise. ”areyoufrench”heasked,inawhisper. ”yes;andantoffranctireurs.” ”hush,then,foryourlife,”thepriestsaid,eaestly.”the villageisfullofprussians.theofficer,hasoldierashis servant,isupstairs.hearrivedinastateoffever;andis, tonight,quiteill.thesoldierisup.ibelievethe sergeant,ndfortonight.asoldier ched,thisevening,toaskforanotherofficertobesent out. ”idoforyou” ”ionlyeinasterlives. heisatraitor,andhasbetrayedustotheprussians.itisowing tohihattheyarehere.” ”hehasabadna,inthevillage,”thepriestsaid;”andwehad appliedtohavehieved.helivesihirdhousefroere, onthesasideoftheroad.” ”hasheanygernsquartereduponhi ”ten,”thepriestsaid.”thesisfullof the” ”doyoukno”jorteeasked.”itwouldbea greatthing,ifingtheene.i havethirtyidonottohaveafightinthe village,ifihelpit.” ”iknoisattheside ofthehouse,andhissittingroondkitonthegroundfloor ofthehouseitself.therearethreebedrooover.hisroosin frontofthehouse,thtasyoufaceit.” ”thankyou,”jorteesaid.”haveyoualadder” ”thereisonelyingonthegroundbytheotheleft.ihope youdonotioshedblood” ”no,”jorteesaid,griy.”ithinkthatiprosethat therehatistosay,uacked bytheprussians. ”goodnight,andthankyou.isaythatforyourown sakeyouention,intheing,havingseenus.” thendantnoy,andtheyadvahe houseioayhi theresttoreinatadistayyards,htheirrifles cked,andinreadinessforinstanta.theladderhen broughtforeed,andplacedagainstthewindow. jorteehad,beforestarting,providedhielffrohe carpehevillageallandfinesaw,a bottleofoil,andathinstriphtiron.henoounted theladderand,aftercarefullyexaningthehwasof theketicedheiedthestrip ofiron,andtriedtoforkthefastening.thishefailedin doing,beingafraidtouseelestthefasteningshould givesuddenly,hacrash.hehad,hoaiheexact positionofthefastening. having,beforeunting,carefullyoiledtheaugerandsaw,henow appliedtheforr;anddeaholethroughthefrathe junofthetheabovethefastening. introdugthesaothishole,henoiselesslytirely rouening,iularsothejunof the;andashedidso,theially open,byitso.henoheladderagain,took offhisboots;andorderedtentodothesa,andto putasideallar,andacuternts,thatuldstrikeagainst anythingandkeanoise. then,takingailropeinhishand,andfollohe ten,heagaiheladder.theinstruehertorein ajorehe roooiselessly,anddroppedatoohishandsandknees; andier,joinedbyhisfollorawled forake noilhefoundthebed.then,risingtohisfeet,he threselfuponthesleepingnand,inant,hadhibr> tightlybythethroathonehahered firyonhisuth. paralyzedbythesuddennessoftheattads tightlykeptdohebedclothes,andtheofhis assailant,thesasterle. ”nopesaid,quietly. hisfolloan tlusively,inthesepartsof frandlightedalaandingupoabl ...