O'Brien shook his head, saying, "If the provisions would last, we might stand here staring at each other till doomsday." Darkness found the position unchanged, while numerous watch-fires gleamed fitfully through the gloom. "I wonder," said the colonel thoughtfully, "if Canterac intends keeping his men there all night? Those fires may be just a blind; he's quite equal to a dodge of that sort." "Let me find out," said O'Brien.--"Crawford, do you feel in trim for a stroll?" "Oh, thanks! it's very kind of you to think of me." "Don't mention it, my dear fellow! It's a weakness of mine to remember my friends.--We'll be back in an hour, colonel.--Take off your sword, Crawford; we must trust to our pistols. Are you ready? Come along, then." Passing our outposts, we began to climb warily, keeping a keen lookout, and taking care to make no unnecessary noise. It was possible--indeed I thought probable--that we should meet the enemy stealing down to surprise our camp by a night attack. However, we kept steadily on our way, and had nearly reached the outer ring of fires, when, clutching O'Brien by the arm, I dragged him bodily to the ground. "What's the matter?" he asked quietly. "A sentry! Listen! He's talking to some one." We lay quite still, trying to hear what was said; but in this we were disappointed, and presently the two men separated, each walking slowly in opposite directions. "Now's our chance!" whispered O'Brien; and crawling on hands and knees, we passed quietly between the two. Several yards away was a big fire, and a number of men had gathered round it, where they could easily be seen. "Then they haven't bolted, after all!" said O'Brien, in surprise. "It doesn't look like it; but don't let us be too sure. You stay in this hollow while I investigate. You are not a good performer on all-fours." "No," said he, chuckling, and I was afraid that, in spite of our danger, he would laugh aloud; "this is a sort of circus trick not taught at our school. Can you judge where to find me again?" "Easily, if they don't let the fires out;" and I crawled further into the camp, and in the direction of a second fire. It looked very comfortable, but no one was there to take advantage of it, and the third and fourth I visited were equally deserted. The trick was plain enough now. After lighting the fires, the three battalions had marched off, leaving just sufficient men to tend them, and to act as sentries. The sight of a soldier crossing the camp to throw fresh fuel on one of the fires changed suspicion into certainty, and I hastened back to O'Brien with my information. "That's an old dodge," said he, "but a good one. It almost always pays in this part of the world. Now let us get back and tell the colonel." Cautiously we crawled back, waited nearly an hour for a favourable chance to dodge the sentries, and then hurried down the pass.