"Be ready to get behind the trees at the back, I hear them rising." She
was evidently right, for now the voices were easier to hear since the
mouths of the speakers were level with the window. A voice, a new one,
said:
"We must git now. Them boys of Mac's 'll be on their round soon." With
a quick movement Marjory doubled under the window and came to me. She
whispered as before:
"Let us get behind trees in front. We may see them coming through the
door, and it will be well to know them." So motioning to her to go on
the side we were on, I slipped round the back, and turning by the other
side of the chapel, and taking care to duck under the windows, hid
myself behind one of the great oak trees in front, to the north of the
original clearing. From where I stood I could see Marjory behind a tree
across the glade. From where we were we could see any one who left
the chapel; for one or other of us commanded the windows, and we both
commanded the ruined doorway. We waited, and waited, and waited, afraid
to stir hand or foot lest we should give a warning to our foes. The time
seemed interminable; but no one came out and we waited on, not daring to
stir.
Presently I became conscious of two forms stealing between the trees up
towards the chapel. I glided further round behind my sheltering tree,
and, throwing an anxious glance toward Marjory, was rejoiced to see that
she was doing the same. Closer and closer the two forms came. There was
not the faintest sound from them. Approaching the door-way from either
side they peered in, listened, and then stole into the darkness between
the tree trunks which marked the breach in the wall. I ventured out and
slipped behind a tree somewhat nearer; Marjory on her side did the same,
and at last we stood behind the two nearest trees and could both note
the doorway and each of us the windows on one side. Then there was a
whisper from within; somehow I expected to hear a pistol shot or to see
a rush of men out through the jagged black of the doorway. Still nothing
happened. Then a match was struck within. In the flash I could see the
face of the man who had made the light--the keen-eyed messenger of Sam
Adams. He held up the light, and to our amazement we could see that,
except for the two men whom we had seen go in, the chapel was empty.
Marjory flitted over to me and whispered:
"Don't be afraid. Men who light up like that aren't likely to stumble
over us, if we are decently careful." She was right. The two men, seeing
that the place was empty, seemed to cast aside their caution. They came
out without much listening, stole behind the chapel, and set off along
the narrow pathway through the wood. Marjory whispered to me:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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