"Shure, an' I will that," said Dennis. "I'm not goin' to harm any one of thim. They seem to me to be aslape and I want to give thim somethin' to wake 'em up." "What are you doing?" demanded Noel, as his companion drew an empty cartridge from his box and filled it with powder from his flask. "I'm riggin' up somethin' to wake up thim boys," replied Dennis soberly. Noel said no more and continued to watch his companion, who, after the shell had been filled with powder, adjusted the percussion cap in such a manner that it was placed upon the powder and within the covering. "There's one of thim," exclaimed Dennis, looking with pride at his workmanship. "Now I'll make another one." A second "shot" like the first was soon made, and then, handing one to Noel, Dennis proceeded very carefully to place his own in the muzzle of his gun. "What are you going to do?" demanded Noel. "That isn't much more than a blank cartridge you have got there." "Niver you mind that," said Dennis confidently. "We'll start these fellows on the run." "It depends upon which way they run," again said Noel. "We don't want them coming in our direction." "I'm not so shure about that," said Dennis, whose respect for the enemy had fallen because of the long silence which had prevailed after their arrival, "I'm not so shure of that," he repeated. "'Most anything is better than nothing. Now, then, Noel," he explained, "you see that big oak tree just beyond the place where the Johnnies are lyin'?" "Yes," replied Noel, as he glanced at the huge tree in the distance. "Do you think you could hit it?" "A blind man could do that," said Noel. "Well, then, I'll fire and then you fire." "At the tree?" demanded Noel in surprise. "That's it. That's it, exactly." "What good will that do? It will only expose us and our shots won't do any damage." "We'll see about that in a minute or two," laughed Dennis. "When these strange bullets of ours strike the tree they are goin' to make that percussion cap explode and then the powder will go off and there will be a big noise right behind the Johnnies. They'll think somebody's firin' at thim from the other side." "That's no joke, Dennis," said Noel positively. "If we do what you say, they will think they are being attacked on the other side, and if they retreat they will come straight toward this place where we are now." "Shure, but they won't retreat," said Dennis. "It's positive I am that they will be puttin' straight for the place where they think these guns are bein' fired." "Then that will give us a chance to get away." "Which may be right, my boy." "Yes, I am right," said Noel hesitatingly. "Although I confess I don't like your scheme very much." "We'll not fire together," said Dennis. "I'll fire first, then you fire directly after me. Be sure you don't miss that tree."