"
After waiting a few minutes longer, Dick said:
"We had better be off, now. If we were to wait longer, we should have
another fellow getting up."
They rose quietly to their feet, made their way to the door, and
opened it noiselessly. The sentry was standing, leaning on his long
matchlock, a few feet away. Suddenly a voice behind exclaimed, "Who is
that?"
The sentry was in the act of turning round, when Dick sprang upon him,
and grasped him by the throat. No cry came from the man's lips, but
the gun fell from his grasp, as he clutched convulsively at Dick's
wrists, and went off as it fell.
"Pick it up," Dick shouted, "and run."
He released his grip from the man's throat, snatched the bandolier
from his shoulder, and, tripping his feet from under him, threw him
heavily to the ground, and then turned to run.
The whole had occupied but a few seconds, but as he started a soldier
ran out from the hut, shouting loudly. He had a gun in his hand. Dick
changed his mind, turned, threw himself upon him, wrenched the gun
from his hold, and, as the man staggered back, struck him with his
right hand under the chin.
The man fell back through the open door, as if shot. Dick seized the
handle and closed it, and then ran, at full speed, towards the foot of
the steps.
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